More Long Lines at H1N1 Vaccine Clinics

SILVER SPRING, Md. - After long lines and rowdy crowds at previous clinics, health officials in Montgomery and Fairfax Counties are changing the way they distribute the H1N1 vaccine. But that didn't stropped people from lining up all day on Wednesday outside three Montgomery County high schools for their chance to get the vaccine.

Three schools in Montgomery County were given 1,000 doses each of the H1N1 vaccine. People were not allowed to line up on the property at each location until 30 minutes before the clinics opened, but that didn’t stop many folks.

Crowds started gathering across the street from Rockville High School around 10 a.m., more than five hours before the H1N1 clinic was set to open. The group gathered despite changes in Montgomery County over how and when the vaccine would be distributed.

After the outpouring of people last week, Montgomery County officials changed the rules.

"We are only going to be giving one type of vaccine, which is the nasal spray, which will be for healthy individuals, school-age children. For those between the ages of 2 years and 24 years old," said Montgomery County health officer Dr. Ulder Tillman.

The changes were supposed to discourage people from lining up on school property. Instead, they camped out nearby and were not allowed on site until 30 minutes prior to the clinic opening. Even then, only 1,000 vaccines were to be distributed.

"Then we are going to be giving out tickets-- numbered tickets-- so when we hit a thousand in each one of those schools, anyone after that will be turned away," explained Tillman. "There will not be anymore nasal spray given to them."

Wednesday's clinics in Montgomery County were held at Rockville High School in Rockville, Northwood High School in Silver Spring, and Northwest High School in Germantown from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., but all three locations were totally out of the vaccine by 7 p.m. Many people were sent home upon arrival.

There are no more clinics scheduled for Montgomery County.

"We are being told that the private providers may be getting shipments of H1N1 vaccine as early as next week," said Dr. Tillman. "It may take two weeks."

The county's just about out of the injectable vaccine. All they have is a small amount reserved for pregnant women, which will be available next week by appointment only.

In Fairfax County, there are changes as well after an outpouring of interest. At five health clinics on Wednesday morning, 250 H1N1 vaccines per clinic were distributed. Folks lined up early and were given numbers to hold their spots inline. There, the vaccine is available right now only to kids from 6 months old to 5 years old, pregnant women, and parents of kids under 6 months old.

The bottom line is the rules are changing depending on the amount of vaccine available in each county. Health officials are trying to make sure the people that need them get them. So as far as future clinics, health officials say its very important to check the website each evening and see if vaccines will be made available the following day.
 

Here are the links you can use to find out more about upcoming clinics in your county:

Fairfax County:
http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/hd/flu/swineflu.htm

Montgomery County:
http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/

DC:
http://dchealth.dc.gov/doh/cwp/view,a,1370,q,604320.asp

Click here for more swine flu links and info from our swine flu page.