Thousands get Swine Flu Vaccine

The fight to curb swine influenza pandemic escalated in Orange County today with the opening of two public clinics, which drew thousands of people for a quick sniff of the vaccine.

County Health Care Agency estimated that it gave at least 3,300 doses of vaccine in the nose free one-day clinics in Santa Ana and Irvine. It took several hundred doses less than expected to give the remains of the three clinics are planned for this coming weekend.

Vaccines are nationally limited. This is the first Orange County clinics are limited to small children and adults caring for babies too young to get the vaccine itself. If this line was not in these two categories, they do not get the vaccine.

Parents started lining up before dawn Saturday at Santa Ana clinic to ensure that their children would Flumist quick spray vaccine is given. The line stretched on the campus of Santa Ana College, around a swimming pool and a football field - at least 1200 people in total - even before the doors opened.

Rhonda Biel, 45, of Huntington Beach, was first in line at 5:30 She identified some continuing concerns about the safety of the vaccine, but said the alternative - H1N1 Influenza - "narrower."

Her 9-year-old son, Connor, who described the vaccine experience when he left the clinic with blueberry lolly: "She, this wet stuff in your nose and give you a tissue, so it would not drool all over your face."

Health officials estimate 1,600 people received the vaccine clinic Saturday at Santa Ana in 1700 and got it in Irvine. It took a couple of hours to work through the long lines at both clinics early, at noon, but people could go and not wait to get a vaccine.
The clinics targeting children between 2 and 9 years old and healthy adults caring for babies 6 months and younger. These groups appear to a higher risk for flu, health officials said children also need half the dose, approximately four weeks after the first, because the vaccine is effective.

Health Care Agency has scheduled clinics three children next Saturday. They will in Rancho Santa Margarita (on Cox Communications, 29947 Avenida de las Banderas), Fullerton (at Fullerton College, 321 East Chapman Avenue) and Cypress (at City Hall, 5275 Orange Ave.).

The demand for a vaccine against the swine flu has overwhelmed some public vaccination clinics in Los Angeles County and elsewhere. But the organizers here reported no such problems and said the audience was moving well, despite the beginning of the lines.

The secret was simple: bright orange arm bands given to children and adults after a quick pre-screening interview with a health professional. These bracelets ensure that enough vaccine for them when they reached the front line.

Donna Fleming, head of county public health operations, the bracelet called "Willy Wonka golden ticket."

At least 102 people in Orange County is busy with H1N1 influenza, according to county Health Agency. Complications of influenza has killed 23 people here, including four children and two pregnant women.

The flu season is not usually peak in January or February. But the so-called swine flu has spread so rapidly that much harder to say when it will peak, "said Dr. Nancy Bowen, Chief Medical Officer in the county public health.

"We never see the level as this so early in the year," she said.

Approximately 1.6 million Orange County residents are a priority group for vaccination because of their age, health or occupation. But County Health Agency has so far only 43,700 and 19,200 doses of nasal spray vaccine shots. Private providers are also an unknown amount Flumist directly from the distributor of the state.

Saturday, Donald Han, 39, of Anaheim Santa Ana came to the hospital with her two young sons, when the doors opened. A volunteer made him the back of the line - after more than 1,000 people. But it was worth, he said.

"We were kind of hesitant," he said. "But I think it is better to protect children. We decided to just go for it .... It's better protection. This is what we came here for.