Free clinic vaccinates 1,065 UNCW students
Amanda Smith | Staff Writer
Issue date: 11/18/09 Section: News
| |
|
UNCW received 600 doses of the injectable version and 2,700 doses of the nasal spray version of the H1N1 vaccination through various shipments from the state. Wednesday's clinic was the first of several expected clinics, but was reserved for UNCW students only.
"We wanted to make sure we got the vaccine to the students first. Students are our primary focus and are among a high-risk group, especially those that are under 25," said Katrin Wesner, director of UNCW's Student Health Center.
A second free H1N1 vaccination clinic will be open to faculty, staff and students Friday, Nov. 20, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m in the Burney Center.
According to Wesner, UNCW should continue to receive shipments of the inoculations for a number of weeks and will have plenty of the vaccine for faculty, staff and students at future clinics. UNCW has requested 12,000 doses of the H1N1 vaccination from the state.
Many areas in New Hanover County have experienced shortages of the vaccine, however. The New Hanover County Health Department received 1,200 doses earlier this week, but continues to have a waitlist of people who want the vaccination. UNCW's Student Health Center was among only 12 clinics that received shipments of the vaccine in New Hanover County this week. Currently, all retail drug stores in the Wilmington area are also out of the H1N1 vaccine.
"I think the reason why we have gotten the number of vaccines that we have is because we have so many high-risk people and cover a large percentage of the high-risk population," Wesner said.
The H1N1 flu virus is milder than the seasonal flu virus, but highly contagious. Those most likely to be affected by the virus are in congregated settings, such as day cares, schools, colleges and residence halls, where highly contagious illnesses tend to spread quickly.
"We really want to get as many people in those high-risk settings vaccinated as [soon as] possible," Wesner said. "We want to try to make sure as seasonal flu cases start that we have as many people vaccinated against H1N1 as we can, because we don't want to have both at the same time."
According to Wesner, the more accessible you make prevention, the more likely people are going to use it. Having the clinic on campus makes it easier for students, faculty and staff to be vaccinated without having to disrupt normal schedules. The clinic being free also adds to many students' willingness to get the vaccination.
"UNCW made it that much easier for me to get vaccinated," said Abbot Shea, a UNCW senior who received the nasal form of the vaccination Wednesday. "All I had to do is check a few boxes and fill out some information, and after that it was as easy as taking any other nasal spray."
In order to vaccinate on a large scale, the Student Health Center recruited 28 students from the UNCW School of Nursing to administer the 1,065 vaccinations.
People who have previously experienced H1N1-like symptoms are still encouraged to get the vaccination. Most students are recommended to get the nasal spray, which is approved for healthy individuals, 2 to 49 years old, and who are not pregnant. The injectable version is approved for everyone over 6 months and is recommended for people who have a compromised immune system, who are pregnant or have a chronic medical condition.
A seasonal flu vaccination clinic will be held Tuesday, Nov.17, in the Burney Center from 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The vaccination will be free for individuals covered by Blue Cross Blue Shield. For those not covered under this plan, the seasonal flu vaccination will be $30.
Be the first to comment on this story