The vaccine will be available on Wednesdays only, 8 to 11 a.m. and 1 until 4 p.m.
In addition, the N.C. State Immunization Branch has made the Seasonal Intranasal Flu Vaccine “Flu Mist” available to healthy persons age 2 years to 49 years of age.
“There is no cost for the vaccine”, said Tina Clark, Communicable Disease Supervisor.
H1N1 Intranasal Vaccine is available for persons 2 years through 49 years of age who are healthy. H1N1 Injectable Vaccine is available for persons who are not medically able to receive the intranasal vaccine.
Private health care providers may also have H1N1 vaccine on hand, so be sure to contact your provider to find out whether you can receive vaccine from them.
Federal health officials said Thursday that almost 10,000 people had died of swine flu since April, a significant jump from mortality numbers released last month.
A month ago, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that only about 4,000 had died.
Officials also said 50 million Americans, or one sixth of the country, had caught the disease, and that 213,000 had been sick enough to be hospitalized.
Several flu experts said they were not shocked by the sudden jump because the new figures come from a period of time that ended November 14, as this fall’s wave of swine flu cases was reaching its peak.
The previous estimate of 4,000 deaths, issued last month, was only through mid-October. By next month, deaths should not have risen quite so abruptly because the fall wave is now tapering off and hospitals have fewer people in intensive care, experts said.
“I’m not surprised,” said Lone Simonsen, an epidemiologist at George Washington University’s school of public health. “This includes most of the fall wave.”
By far, the single best way to prevent the flu is for individuals, especially people at high risk for serious complications from the flu, to get a vaccination each fall. However, there are other good health habits that can help prevent the flu which include:
Avoid close contact with people who are sick;
if possible, stay home from work, school, and errands when you are sick; cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing;
wash your hands often; and avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
For more information, call the Scotland County Health Department at 277-2440.
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