Sat Nov 21 2009
By DARLENE PRINCE
A very long line of hopeful people was waiting patiently for an H1N1 flu shot this morning in pouring rain at the Defiance Eagles Aerie 372.
The Defiance County Health Department was holding its first H1N1 flu clinic for high-risk people and children this morning. The clinic was conducted on a first-come, first-served event.
Health department officials had been anticipating the arrival of many area residents wishing to get a shot. There was a limited supply of vaccine, about 200 doses, available.
They were not disappointed in the number of people as the lines were already long before the department's official starting time of 8:30 a.m. Volunteers from the Defiance County Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) were busily taking information from people clustered in the building's lobby.
Denise Hench, a MRC volunteer, said, "It's crazy, I was here at 7:45 a.m. and there already was a line of people. But they have been very civil and very orderly."
Even though it wasn't 8:30 a.m. yet, the volunteers were taking information and shots were being given.
Several people, who had been waiting in their cars in the parking lot since 6 a.m., said they would have stayed in their car a while longer, but got out and went into the building after they saw people running toward the building's door.
Many parents with children were waiting in line, including some from out of town.
Amanda Stoller, of Latty, was there with her young boys. "We got here at about 7:45 a.m.," she said.
Pennie LaBounty of Payne came with her daughter and grandchildren.
Amber Miller, Defiance, brought her two boys, Phillex and John. The boys' father, Brian Miller, was also there.
One man from Defiance had been waiting 45 minutes. He had come to get a shot and said his wife had already gotten her's, but that they would not be getting shots for their children as they were worried about the effects of the preservative thimerosal in the flu vaccine. (The FDA has deemed the flu vaccine to be safe for adults and children.)
A woman from Continental had brought her daughter for a shot and another woman from Bryan was waiting with her son. They all had been waiting in line from 45 minutes to one hour.
At about 10:10 a.m., county health commissioner Kim Moss said, "It has been a little busy for us this morning. It is starting to slow down now. There should be enough vaccine for people who were waiting in line, but the ones who are coming right now will have to take the FluMist, as I believe we will be out of vaccine by the time we get to them.
"We had a few incidents with uncooperative people, but the police handled the situations for us.
"After the day is over, we are going to sit back and assess what went right and what went wrong and then figure out how to do things better," she said.
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