Florence clinic distributes H1N1 vaccines

Federally-funded H1N1, or swine flu, vaccines have arrived in regional health departments and are now available in some local doctor’s offices as well. Officials with the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control office in Florence said they received the H1N1 vaccines last week.
On Wednesday, FirstChoice Healthcare of Florence announced that they were selected as one of the distribution sites for the vaccines.
Health officials are initially only giving out the vaccines to target populations- those most susceptible to the H1N1 virus. Those target groups include daycare and hospital workers, pregnant women, adults with chronic illnesses and children older than six months, but younger than 24 years.

FirstChoice officials say they prepared for an influx of people wanting to get the H1N1 vaccine, but were surprised by just how many patients showed up throughout the day to receive the vaccine.
“Everybody’s been asking about the flu shot, specifically the swine flu or H1N1, so as soon as the announcement went out we knew that there would be a lot of people interested in having the shots,“ said Urgent Care Physician Michele Scott, M.D.

Janice Pearson was one of many patients who elected to receive the vaccine and fell into one of the target populations. Pearson said she wanted to take preventive measures to avoid future complications. “I decided to come out here today because I was very concerned about catching some type of virus,“ Pearson said. “I’ve already had my annual flu shot and since I have a respiratory problem, I want to be extra sure that I’m covered,“ First Choice officials say they have a limited supply of the vaccines, but do expect to get refills once their current supply runs out.

Health officials say they are making plans to eventually have vaccinations available to the entire population, though currently only the target populations are receiving the vaccines. Officials with the Department of Health and Environmental Control plan to specifically target the school population with the vaccine, and have plans to try to get it in as many South Carolina schools as possible before students leave for their winter break.

FirstChoice officials say they are encouraging those in the target populations to receive the vaccine before they become sick. “The main thing is encouraging folks to get the flu vaccine every year, get it as early as you can to try to keep from getting the flu. There are medicines to treat the flu, but the best treatment is prevention,“ said Scott.

The H1N1 vaccine is available at DHEC by appointment only and is free of charge. H1N1 vaccine clinics are scheduled for Thursday, Friday and Saturday in Florence. DHEC officials will be administering the vaccine to at-risk groups after business hours Thursday at the regional office on East Cheves Street in Florence.

On Friday, the shot will be administered throughout the day; Saturday, the shot will be given from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information on the DHEC H1N1 vaccine clinics, call the regional office at (843) 661-4835.

FirstChoice will administer both H1N1 intranasal spray and shots.  Supplies are limited and shots will be given based on the pre-determined target groups as identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The maximum cost for either type vaccine will be $19.36 per dose.
All vaccinations will be administered at the main office, 1920 Second Loop Road, Florence. No appointment is necessary.
For more information, call CEO Marty Coates or medical director Dr. Michelle Scott at (843) 678-9777.