Published: November 05, 2009 11:40 am      

H1N1 flu vaccination blitz planned

By Justin Lofton

Staff Writer



Pontotoc County Health Department will be participating in a state-wide H1N1 vaccination Saturday. The vaccinations will be given to Oklahomans who are one of the priority groups.

“We’re announcing that we will hold an H1N1 vaccination clinic on Saturday,” said Michael Echelle, administrative director of Pittsburg, Atoka, Coal and Pontotoc County Health Departments. Echelle said the blitz will take place at the Pontotoc County Health Department from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m.

“The clinic will be limited to Oklahoma residents who are in one of the five priority groups,” Echelle said. “The priority groups for the H1N1 vaccine include all children ages 16 months to 18 years — that doesn’t matter if they have an underlying medical condition or not — pregnant women, parents of infants less than 6 months of age or custodial guardians, frontline health care workers who have direct patient care with acutely ill persons, and adults 19 to 64 years of age with chronic disease.”

Echelle said the Pontotoc County Health Department has received enough vaccine for 800 vaccinations and hopes to get another shipment of at least that much by Friday.

“The H1N1 flu virus continues to affect people in our community. We know that the people in these priority groups are at greater risk and we hope to reach as many of them as vaccine supply allows on Saturday,” Echelle said. “We anticipate receiving more vaccine each week and every week through early January.”

Echelle said individuals seeking vaccine will be screened to make certain they fall into one of the five priority groups.

Pontotoc County Health Department is located at 1630 East Beverly in Ada.