[Press Release] : FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - H1N1 Vaccine Availability for ALL Residents

[Press Releases]

For Immediate Release
December 8, 2009
 
Contact: Geni Alexander, Public Information Officer
573.268.6265 or gaalexan at GoColumbiaMo.com
 
Free H1N1 Vaccine Available to All Boone County Residents Beginning
Saturday
H1N1 Flu Vaccine
The Columbia/Boone County Department of Public Health and Human
Services will begin offering free H1N1 vaccine to all Boone County
residents at a public clinic on Saturday, December 12th. The clinic will
be held at the health department, located at 1005 West Worley in
Columbia, from 10 am – 2 pm. 
“Since we received our first shipment of vaccine in mid-October, we’ve
been following the CDC’s priority groups, all along working towards the
day we could open up vaccinations for the entire county”, said Stephanie
Browning, health department director. “We will continue our school-based
vaccination clinics and hope to begin other outreach efforts as we get
more and more vaccine”, added Browning.
No appointment is necessary. Nasal spray vaccine (commonly known as
FluMist) and preservative-free injectable vaccine will be available
while supplies last. 
Reminder to Parents
Parents of children age 9 and younger are reminded to return to the
health department or their child’s physician for the child’s second dose
of H1N1 vaccine. To be fully-protected, the CDC recommends anyone under
age 10 receive two doses of vaccine, spaced 28 days apart.
Seasonal Flu Vaccine
The health department continues to offer a limited amount of injectable
seasonal vaccine on a walk-in basis, Monday-Friday from 8 am – 4:30 pm
at the health department clinic. No appointment is necessary. Cost of
the seasonal vaccine is $25. We do accept Medicaid and Medicare, but
cannot bill private insurance.
Consent forms can be completed by visiting www.GoColumbiaMO.com (
http://www.gocolumbiamo.com/ )and following links to the health
department’s flu page. For more information about the flu, including
dates/times of other flu clinics across the state, please visit
www.FightTheFluMO.com ( http://www.fighttheflumo.com/ ). 
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