Nov 14, 2009 11:13 pm US/Eastern
Harford County Holds H1N1 Clinic For Children
HARFORD COUNTY, Md. (WJZ) ―
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New numbers released this week from the Centers for Disease Control show more than 22 million Americans caught the H1N1 flu in the last seven months and many of those are children.
CBS
New numbers released this week from the Centers for Disease Control show more than 22 million Americans caught the H1N1 flu in the last seven months and many of those are children.
Gigi Barnett explains health departments statewide are vaccinating small children.
For some small children, the H1N1 flu shot came quickly; others protested. Either way, parents determined to get the shot for their children at an H1N1 flu clinic in Harford County succeeded.
"It's scary that children have already passed and scary to see what could happen to children who already have underlying health issues," said Amanda McGraw.
According to the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, the H1N1 flu killed more than 500 children nationwide since April. Health departments across Maryland have an aggressive campaign to vaccinate children, especially the youngest ones.
"It's scary, especially when you have a one-year-old who is in a crib and can't tell you when she's having trouble breathing," said Sharon Schromsky.
"What we are finding is that it's not targeting just very young and very old; it is targeting healthy children and young people," said Harford County Health Officer Susan Kelly.
Kelly says her department stocked up 2,000 doses, then emailed doctors' offices and daycare centers. They expected long lines at the clinic, which was only for children six months to five years old.
While few parents showed up, Kelly said those doses must go out.
"We will continue to have clinics until everybody who wants the vaccine is able to get it," she said.
Harford County schools offer the H1N1 shot for students, but for the youngest kids--ages six months to five years--they're not in class, so there was no way to give them the shot until Harford County health workers decided to have this clinic on a Saturday.
"Our intention is to get it out to the priority patients and when you talk about children six months all the way to 24 years, they are all priority population," Kelly said.
So far, hospitals nationwide admitted more than 98,000 H1N1 patients this year; about 36,000 of them were children.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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