The first shipments of H1N1 nasal spray vaccines have reached the Grand Strand.
A few local clinics, including Beach Urgent Care in Myrtle Beach, are offering H1N1 flu vaccines.
The vaccine costs only $20.00 at Beach Urgent Care.
Anyone can fill out a questionnaire to receive the vaccine. With a few exceptions, including people who have chronic diseases or pregnant women, most people should be eligible to be vaccinated.
Benjamin Coffey was the first person to get the H1N1 flu vaccine at Beach Urgent Care.
“We need to really be on top of this thing because it's scary,” said Coffey.
But now that he's gotten the vaccine, Coffey is less afraid of getting or spreading the disease at the fitness center he works at.
Dr. Ronald Reynolds at Beach Urgent Care says it will take many more people to get the vaccine to put an end to the H1N1 flu.
“As it gets into the population more, and not enough people have the vaccine, then there's a large enough pool that the virus will just continue in the population,” said Dr. Reynolds.
Dr. Reynolds says inside the vaccine there's a small amount of the virus, so people who take it will be exposed to the H1N1 flu, and their bodies will be prepared to fight a larger amount of it if they come into contact with the virus in the community.
Beach Urgent Care received 100 doses of the vaccine.
Dr. Reynolds says more swine flu vaccine shots won't be available for at least three weeks.
“There is an incredible demand for it and unfortunately the supplies at this point in time are very, very limited,” said Dr. Reynolds.
Beach Urgent Care is ordering more nasal spray doses and its employees are encouraging everyone, even if you don't think you can afford the vaccine, to at least look into getting vaccinated.
“We definitely will work with anyone because we believe this is a vaccine very important to the community, so I would advise people just to call their healthcare providers,” said Eileen Huber, Beach Urgent Care’s Family Nurse Practitioner.
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