Kane Co. cancels H1N1 vaccination clinics
While Shelly Nguyen of Pingree Grove was waiting in line to get her 2-year-old daughter Alana vaccinated for the H1N1 flu Monday evening at Larkin High School in Elgin, her two oldest children were home sick, both running temperatures.
After two hours standing in the rain, the two finally made it through Larkin's doors. An hour and a half after that, they had wound their way through the school to get their shots, the first in a round of two.
Nguyen said that when she arrived at the school 15 minutes before the clinic was scheduled to begin, she almost left when she saw the line. About 8,000 Kane County residents showed up to get the vaccine -- far more than officials had estimated, and more than the department was able to vaccinate in that time.
"I asked the nurse when I was filling out paperwork, 'Are you sure there's enough for the kids?'" she said. "They said, 'It's fine.'"
But Wednesday morning, she received an automated phone message from Community Unit School District 300's rapid communication system that the district's two upcoming H1N1 clinics have been canceled by the Kane County Health Department. Clinics had been planned for Monday at Dundee-Crown High School in Carpentersville and Monday, Nov. 9, at Hampshire High School, among other sites in the county.
"The health department has not received a sufficient supply of the vaccine from the federal government to hold the clinics as planned," according to the school district's Web site, www.d300.org.
Because of the ongoing nationwide vaccine shortage, the Kane County Health Department announced Wednesday it is not expecting to receive any shipments large enough in the foreseeable future to conduct the community clinics scheduled for Monday and for Nov. 9. Planned clinics at the Hemmens Cultural Center in Elgin, Central High School in Burlington, Mooseheart Child City & School in Batavia and the Illinois Math and Science Academy in Aurora also have been canceled, according to Tom Schlueter, spokesman for the county health department.
Instead, the health department will vaccinate only high-risk persons and only by appointment on Mondays and Thursdays at its offices in Elgin (113 S. Grove Ave.) and Aurora (1330 N. Highland Ave.). High-risk groups include anyone age 6 months through 24 years old, pregnant women, caregivers and parents of children younger than 6 months, and those with pre-existing health conditions.
The community clinics were meant only for those at high risk as well, he added.
But mom Nguyen said if the health department only had vaccinated those at high risk at the Larkin clinic, she believes there would have been plenty of vaccine to go around.
"They gave the shots to everyone," she said.
Schlueter said, "If somebody lied, there's nothing we really could do. We can't do a physical. The idea was to go through the line as quickly as possible to protect as many people as we can."
In September, the health department ordered 64,000 doses of the H1N1 vaccine and received a delivery of 17,500 doses -- more than any other health department outside Chicago. More than 10,000 were given out Monday at Larkin, St. Charles North High School and East Aurora High School.
After holding those clinics and supplying vaccine for first-responders and health care workers, the health department said it has exhausted its supply. Schlueter said it expects to get more -- he's just not sure when or how much.
"There will be enough for everybody that wants one eventually," he said.
Meantime, Nguyen said she's starting the search to find a place to get her two oldest children vaccinated.
At their pediatrician's suggestion, she had planned to have both vaccinated for H1N1 once their fevers subsided. Alexis, 10, and Kai, 7, both are students at Cambridge Lakes Charter School in Pingree Grove, part of District 300.
"I'm so grateful I waited" in line with Alana, Nguyen said. "It's very serious. There are a lot of kids out sick."
Kane County residents in the high-risk group can call to schedule an H1N1 vaccine by calling the health department's appointment line -- 630-444-3189 -- between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. More information is available at www.kanehealth.com.
