Students can receive the H1N1 vaccine this Saturday at MCCC.
The college is holding one of the first H1N1 vaccination clinics included on the tentative schedule released by the Monroe County Health Department.
Vaccinations, which are open to the public, are scheduled at MCCC from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7, in the Welch Health Education Building’s multipurpose room.
A mini-clinic for only MCCC students and staff will take place Tuesday, Nov. 10, from 10 a.m – 2p.m. It will be held in the A Building, room A-173a-d.
The first H1N1 vaccinations in the county were held Monday, Nov. 2, at Bedford High School. Rebecca Head, director of the county Health Deparment, said about 1,400 people were vaccinated.
In addition, Head said 2,000 to 2,500 health care workers, paramedics and others associated with health in the county have been vaccinated as of Nov. 3.
Since the Health Department has reported that the H1N1 vaccine is in short supply, the Centers for Disease Control requires that target groups receive the vaccine first.
The target groups include pregnant women, people who live with or care for children younger than 6 months of age, health care workers, people between the ages of 6 months – 24 years, and people from 25-64 who are at high risk for H1N1 complications due to chronic health diseases or compromised immune systems.
If students and staff do not fall into the target groups, they will have to wait to receive the vaccine until more is available.
Unless a person has been specifically diagnosed with H1N1, as opposed to just having a flu-like illness, Head recommends they receive the vaccination.
Head also said that if people are ill with a fever and flu-like illness, they should not be vaccinated during the time they are ill.
