DOWNEY - The City of Downey and the L.A. County Department of Public Health will host a free H1N1 flu-shot clinic on Saturday, Dec. 5, at the Downey Adult School at 12340 Woodruff Ave. The site is also known as Columbus High School and is located at the corner of Woodruff and Imperial Highway.The clinic will use the Harriett Payne Event Center as the vaccination site. Clinic hours of operation will be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (or when the vaccine supply has been distributed). A map of the site with parking and access routes will be published in next week's Patriot newspaper and may be viewed on the City website next week. The availability of a supply of the H1N1 vaccine for this clinic was confirmed earlier this week by the L.A. County Department of Public Health (DPH). The H1N1 vaccine should be available as an injection and a nose spray. The availability of specific vaccines such as the preservative-free version will not be known until Saturday morning when the clinic supplies arrive. Supplies of the H1N1 vaccine for flu-shot clinics have been limited and have presented planning challenges for clinics such as this one. The DPH staff believes the number of available vaccinations will be similar to the amounts distributed during the October and November H1N1 clinics in Downey. The DPH is targeting the following groups for vaccinations at the Downey H1N1 clinic: •Young people ages 6 months to 24 years •People living with or giving care to children under 6 months of age •Emergency Medical Services personnel and health care workers •People ages 25-64 with chronic heart, respiratory, diabetes and other health problems •Pregnant women Clinic attendees should expect to be screened during the registration process for the above criteria. It is important to note that the DPH is prioritizing their vaccinations for this clinic. Clinic staff will do their best keep those in lines informed regarding the clinic wait times and the availability of vaccine. Heath care professionals recommend children under the age of 10 receive two vaccinations separated by three to four weeks of time. If a child received a vaccination by injection on or before Nov. 14, the child should be eligible for a second vaccination at the upcoming Downey clinic. If a child received a vaccination with the flu-mist nose spray on or before Nov. 7 the child should be eligible for a second vaccination at the Dec. 5 clinic. Parents and guardians of children in need of the second vaccination should bring a copy of the DPH paperwork from the first vaccination, if possible. The clinic is open to those who live throughout the Downey area. Community members from the surrounding cities are welcome. The clinic will not open early, so attendees are NOT encouraged to arrive excessively early. Attendees should know they may experience wait times of over two hours. Considering the wait, attendees may choose to bring a lightweight chair (and something to read) if standing for long periods of time is uncomfortable. Clinic attendees can streamline the registration process by downloading the registration form from the DPH website (www.publichealth.lacounty.gov) and completing it in advance. The DPH registration forms are available in several different languages. Those who are in a priority group for H1N1 vaccine should bring their completed vaccination form with them to the clinic. Attendees should also remember they will likely need to bare a shoulder for their vaccination; therefore they should wear accommodating attire. The waiting lines for vaccinations are entirely outside. Attendees should be prepared for varying fall weather conditions. The efficiency of the vaccination process depends on the effectiveness and cooperation of the clinic staff and attendees. It is important for everyone to be prepared to transition quickly from standing in line, to registering for the vaccination, to being prepared for the vaccination, to receiving the vaccination and then to leave. There will be congestion in the Woodruff and Imperial Highway area before and during this event. Residents are encouraged to avoid the area if they will not be getting a vaccination or have business in this area. The parking area will be posted for the event on Friday evening. The Dec. 5 H1N1 flu-shot clinic is the final clinic planned for Downey this year. Questions about the Downey H1N1 free flu shot clinic may be directed to ready@downeyca.org. The L.A. County information phone line (211) may also be helpful.

********** Published: November 27, 2009 - Volume 8 - Issue 32