Long lines mark first day of H1N1 vaccine shots
Michael Goudeau surveyed the line stretched around the building at the Southern Nevada Health District this afternoon.
The bad news was he was in back of everyone else and the heat was pushing 90 degrees. But overall, he was encouraged by the turnout.
“I’m happy to see this,” Goudeau said. It is, he said, “good news for all of us.” Goudeau was one of about 2,680 Southern Nevada residents who withstood lines that at times lasted longer than two hours to receive the first delivery of the injectable H1N1 vaccine. The FluMist inhaled version was also offered.
Goudeau was at the health district’s main center, 625 Shadow Lane, so his 10-year-old son, Joseph, who has asthma, could get vaccinated.
Some people waiting in line said it snaked around the building much earlier than 10 a.m., when the doors officially opened.
One woman said she stopped by in the morning and the line appeared to “wrap around the building twice.” She came back later when the wait was less intimidating.
Gwen Osburn, community health nurse at the health district, said the turnout was unexpected. She described it in one word. “Wow!”
Osburn said nurses vaccinated more than 300 people in the first hour of the clinic. The lines were long all day, she said.
Osburn said although the wait this morning was estimated at two hours and change, by the afternoon people were getting into the building from outside in 30 minutes.
The turnout was in stark contrast to the first week the FluMist was made available. As of Thursday morning, only about 1,500 FluMist vaccinations had been given at the district. Osburn acknowledged that some people might be afraid of the FluMist.
The nasal vaccine is made of a weakened live virus, tamed in the laboratory so it cannot cause illness. The shot contains a dead virus.
To date, the health district has received more than 48,000 doses of the H1N1 vaccine, including the initial FluMist delivery of more than 20,000 doses.
The priority groups eligible to get vaccinated today included pregnant woman, people who live with or care for children younger than 6 months, health care and emergency medical personnel with direct patient contact, children 6 months through 4 years old, and children 5 through 18 who have chronic medical conditions.
Starting Monday, the health district will continue to offer both types of vaccines daily to the same priority groups between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. The vaccines are free.
Contact reporter Antonio Planas at aplanas@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4638.