Published: November 05, 2009 10:39 pm      

Saturday H1N1 vaccination locations announced

A statewide “Vaccination Blitz” is scheduled this Saturday as Oklahoma’s county health departments work to vaccinate as many Oklahomans against H1N1 flu as time and vaccine supplies allow. Twenty-seven locations across the state will offer the H1N1 influenza vaccine to people who are in one of five priority groups. In Oklahoma City, metro residents may attend the clinic from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at John Marshall High School, 12201 N. Portland.

“The H1N1 pandemic continues to be widespread in Oklahoma and otherwise healthy individuals are becoming ill and, in some cases, being hospitalized,” said Dr. Kristy Bradley, state epidemiologist. “While we don’t have as much vaccine as we want, what we do have will be available this Saturday to Oklahomans in the priority groups. School-age children and pregnant women have been especially vulnerable to this influenza virus, so we continue to encourage vaccination of persons who fall into these categories.”

Priority groups for the H1N1 vaccine include: All children ages 6 months to 18 years; pregnant women, custodial parents of infants less than 6 months of age; front-line health care workers who have direct patient contact with acutely ill persons; and adults 19-64 years of age with chronic medical conditions such as diabetes, asthma and other chronic lung disease, chronic heart disease, cancer and other conditions that suppress the immune system.

People seeking vaccinations will be screened to ensure that they meet a priority group definition for H1N1 vaccine and to verify Oklahoma residency. People not included in one of the priority groups or who are unable to attend a Saturday clinic are encouraged to be patient, as new vaccine shipments arrive in Oklahoma each week. The doses offered include both nasal spray and injectable vaccines.

For up-to-date information about Vaccination Blitz locations, call your local county health department or visit www.health.ok.gov, or call the Oklahoma State Department of Health toll-free H1N1 hotline at: 1-866-278-7134.