For those in line midday at the fourth H1N1 vaccination clinic hosted by the county, it took less than 10 minutes to receive a vaccine.
From the car, to waiting in line, to actually receiving the vaccination, it didn’t take long Thursday as workers with the Yuma County Public Health Services District held the fourth vaccination clinic in Yuma County.
There was a line when the clinic first began at 10 a.m., said Mike Lebrun, who helps coordinate logistics for the H1N1 clinics for the health district. He said in the first hour, health care workers vaccinated 358 people.
Health care workers offered both the inactivated influenza vaccine, also known as the flu shot, and the live attenuated influenza vaccine, also known as the flu mist were available.
The clinic was open to people in the Tier 1 and Tier 2 risk categories, including all children. The county clinics were recently expanded to include adults with chronic illnesses.
Yuman Delores Gonzales received her vaccination just after 1 p.m. Thursday. She said she has diabetes, which makes it harder for her to heal from illnesses.
“(I want it) just so I won’t get sick,” Gonzales said while she sat in the waiting area Thursday at the Southgate Mall.
During the clinic Thursday, health care workers were able to give out between 1,600 and 1,800 doses, said LeighAnn Howell, nursing supervisor with the district.
The amount of people lining up to receive the shot isn’t the only decrease when it comes to recent H1N1 news.
According to a weekly report released Thursday by the Arizona Department of Health Services (AZDHS), the number of confirmed influenza cases, which includes both the H1N1 and seasonal flu, is down.
AZDHS interim director Will Humble told the Yuma Sun Thursday that the number of confirmed cases appears to be leveling off, but the agency is still recording about 1,000 new confirmed cases a week. According to the report, Arizona still has “widespread” activity.
“It’s leveling off at a high level,” Humble said. “We hope that stays a trend.”
The leveling off is most likely due to several reasons, Humble said.
A combination of good public health practices, people staying home when sick, more access to the vaccine and the natural course of the disease are all factors, he said.
Similar to the seasonal flu, Humble said, the natural course of a virus such as H1N1 will be increased cases in the beginning then a period where cases level off.
The agency officially began tracking the flu season Oct. 4.
The county has not announced future vaccination clinics. Yuma County health officials receive doses of the vaccine from the state and based on the county population and are subject to availability.
To view the report, as well as other flu reports by AZDHS, visit www.azdhs.gov. For more information about the flu, visit www.flu.gov.
Website: www.yumasun.com/news/flu-54153-health-county.html