St. Louis Co. to begin offering H1N1 vaccine

KSDK -- St. Louis County health officials say they
have received a shipment of H1N1 flu vaccine, and will begin
vaccinating the public against the illness.

Health officials announced the details regarding when and where the vaccinations would be delivered.

"We are in a health emergency of historic proportions in St. Louis County, and the united states," said County Executive Charlie Dooley at a Wednesday morning press conference where the County announced a new shipment of H1N1 vaccination -- 23,000 doses with another 10,000 expected any day.

"St. Louis County government is going to do everything we possibly can to make sure that every citizen in St. Louis County that wants the H1N1 vaccination gets it," said Dooley.

The department said it has 10,000 doses to give this weekend on November 7.

Two thousand doses will go to each of five clinics at local schools: Hazelwood West, Lindbergh, Lafayette, Jennings and Maplewood-Richmond Heights.  Tickets will be given at 7 a.m.  Vaccinations will occur between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

Health officials urged that only people in the established high-risk groups and first responders take advantage of this.

The five high priority groups are:

- Pregnant women
- Children from six months of age through four years of age
- Caregives of and those who live with infants under the age of six months
- Youth from five years of age through 18 years of age with an underlying health condition that makes them ore susceptible to flu complications
- Emergency workers and health care workers

Health officials said a mixture of H1N1 shots and FluMist will be available at each site, but because of limited supplies, it will not be possible to honor individual preferences.

Proof of residency in St. Louis County may be required, such as a driver's license or utility bill.

"We're going to ask people very nicely, if you're completely healthy -- you're fifty five years of age, you don't have any children, you have no one to care for, you're not on the priority list -- we'll say to that person would you please come back in December when we may have a little more vaccine available," said Dr. Dolores Gunn the Director of the St. Louis County Health Department.

Gunn says she expects to continue to get thousands of additional doses in the weeks and months to come, so that all of those at high risk, and anyone else who wants the vaccine can get it.

"It's not a matter of whether you will get the vaccine you want, it's just a matter of time," says Gunn.

Demand for the vaccination has been high. Health officials say
it protects against the illness, which can be fatal and has been
spreading in the United States since earlier this year. 

Addresses for the five locations are below:

1) Hazelwood West High School
1 Wildcat Lane
Hazelwood, MO 63042

2) Jennings High School
8850 Cozens Avenue
Jennings, MO 63136

(Parking for the Jennings location will be at 8960 Jennings Station Road; however, participants will first need to pick up a line ticket at the high school.)

3) Lafayette High School
17050 Clayton Road
Wildwood, MO 63038

4) Lindbergh High School
4900 South Lindbergh Boulevard
St. Louis, MO 63126

5) Maplewood-Richmond Heights High School

(Line ticket distribution and parking for the Maplewood location will be at the parking lot of the Sunnen Products Company, located at 16 Sunnen Drive, Maplewood, MO 63143.)