H1N1 shots finally arrive in Marion County

Marion County finally got its first shipment of H1N1 flu shots Tuesday.
The Health Department and the Hannibal Clinic will be distributing the vaccine, but were still in the process of setting up clinics.
“The public is apprehensive about H1N1 and we need to take care of the community as soon as we can,” said Registered Nurse Mary Jo Lear.
Questions may be directed to the health department at (573) 221-1166 or the Hannibal Clinic at (573) 221-5250. The clinic planned an update at www.hannibalclinic.com.
Only those considered the most susceptible to H1N1 will get a shot.
The target groups are pregnant women, people who have direct contact with an ill patient, health care and emergency medical providers, people ages six months to four years and people ages 25 to 64 who have certain health conditions.
The health department and the clinic were getting 200 doses each of the injectable for pregnant women and 330 shots each for others. New doses of the flu mist also had arrived.
Hannibal Regional Hospital received injectable doses, but right now only for health care workers.
“We have plans in place to prioritize that,” said Keith Griffeth, the hospital’s infection preventionist. “At this time, we won’t be doing community drives.”
Monroe County was the only other one in the area that had not gotten the injectable form of the vaccine, but delivery was expected Wednesday.
The Monroe County Health Department is so certain the doses will arrive that it’s already set up clinics for Thursday in Monroe City and Friday in Paris.
“I’m a woman of faith,” said Administrator Barbara Landrum. “They said it would get here.”
Other counties have had no problems in distributing the vaccine.
People “have really been terrific,” said Registered Nurse Diane Lay, administrator in Lewis County. “They understand the distribution is slow. We get it out as soon as we get it in.”
“People are understanding that we need to do the high-risk groups first,” said Registered Nurse Rhonda Stumbaugh, community health coordinator in Pike County.
Many departments have H1N1 clinics set up for this week.
“We’re getting lots of calls,” said Registered Nurse Donna Walton, administrator in Lincoln County. “They want to know when they can get in, especially if they have children.”
“It’ll be available to everyone eventually,” said Registered Nurse and supervisor Sheila Ebers in Ralls County.
Adams County got another 3,700 doses and planned a clinic Thursday at the civic center in Quincy, Ill.
Marion County has had 13 confirmed cases of H1N1. Other area counties with diagnosed cases include Lewis, Pike and Monroe in Northeast Missouri and Adams and Pike in West-Central Illinois.
Missouri now has a toll-free hotline for people to get answers about H1N1 questions. The number is 877-358-4141 and will be answered 24 hours a day.