DOWNEY - The City of Downey and the L.A. County Department of Public Health will host a free H1N1 flu-shot clinic on Tuesday at the Downey Theatre.The clinic hours of operation are from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. The clinic layout will be similar to the seasonal flu-shot clinic held last month in the same location. Please see the location map at right for traffic flow and parking instructions. Traffic will be controlled by the Downey Police Department. Clinic attendees should enter the clinic operational area from Brookshire Avenue and Civic Center Drive. There will be handicap parking in the library area. Numerous directional signs will be placed throughout the Civic Center area to assist clinic attendees. Drivers and pedestrians are expected to use great caution while in the area. The H1N1 vaccine will be available as an injection and a nose spray. The availability of the H1N1 vaccine for this clinic was confirmed with the L.A. County Department of Public Health on Wednesday. The targeted groups for the H1N1 clinic are: •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 Important note: at this time, heath care professionals recommend children under the age of 11 receive two vaccinations over the course of three weeks. Please see future flu-shot clinic dates at the bottom of this article for future flu vaccination clinic dates. 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 there may be waits for their vaccinations and be prepared to stand in line for a period of time. There will be congestion in the Civic Center area on the afternoon and evening of this event. Residents are encouraged to avoid the area if you will not be getting a vaccination or have business in the Civic Center area. Downey High School students will not be allowed to use the Library and Civic Center turn-around for loading and unloading on Tuesday. Additional H1N1 flu-shot clinics will be held in Downey on Nov. 14 and Dec. 5. Further information on the H1N1 flu vaccine and virus can be found on www.cdc.gov and www.flu.gov. Questions about the Downey H1N1 free flu shot clinic may be directed to ready@downeyca.org.

********** Published: October 23, 2009 - Volume 8 - Issue 27