FORT SMITH, Ark. -
Starting Thursday, people can get free flu shots at mass vaccination clinics going on around the state.
Those clinics started as training exercises for emergency workers a few years ago, and now they're helping fight the H1N1 flu pandemic.
"We're excited, we have it all together, we're ready," said Jo Wester at the Sebastian County Health Unit Wednesday.
Besides county health workers, the clinics are utilizing local police, emergency management workers, and volunteers from around the area to keep things running smoothly.
Sebastian County's drive-through flu clinic will be held Friday at Kay Rodgers Park from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Wester says people should expect a 15-20 minute wait once they're in line.
"You'll come in the gate, there'll be a triage station there," she said, "and then you'll come on through the line and as you get to the vaccination station the nurse will give you the vaccine."
Meanwhile, severe weather has scuttled one clinic's plans in Washington County. With severe weather on the way, officials there decided to cancel vaccinations at Drake Field, and fall back to their walk-through clinic at the Jones Center.
"We already had Jones Center clinic established, so we're going to just move all of our volunteers and supplies and vaccines to the Jones Center," said Linda Thompson with the Arkansas Department of Health.
H1N1 vaccines will be available at most sites, but the supply is so low health officials are holding them back for the people most at risk of severe complications from the new strain of flu. Those include pregnant women, children six months old to four years old, and children five to 18 that have underlying health problems such as asthma or diabetes.
Anyone with a fever the day of the clinic will not be able to receive a vaccination at all, as well as anyone with severe egg allergies since the vaccines are cultured in eggs.
With H1N1 cases reported in virtually every county in the state, and about a dozen deaths reported since April, health officials are urging people to vaccinate early for the flu, and are hoping that even with limited supplies their efforts will protect those that are the most at risk from this new strain of flu.
"We're in a pandemic now, it's not just an exercise anymore, and we're completely prepared for that," said Thompson.
Those clinics started as training exercises for emergency workers a few years ago, and now they're helping fight the H1N1 flu pandemic.
"We're excited, we have it all together, we're ready," said Jo Wester at the Sebastian County Health Unit Wednesday.
Besides county health workers, the clinics are utilizing local police, emergency management workers, and volunteers from around the area to keep things running smoothly.
Sebastian County's drive-through flu clinic will be held Friday at Kay Rodgers Park from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Wester says people should expect a 15-20 minute wait once they're in line.
"You'll come in the gate, there'll be a triage station there," she said, "and then you'll come on through the line and as you get to the vaccination station the nurse will give you the vaccine."
Meanwhile, severe weather has scuttled one clinic's plans in Washington County. With severe weather on the way, officials there decided to cancel vaccinations at Drake Field, and fall back to their walk-through clinic at the Jones Center.
"We already had Jones Center clinic established, so we're going to just move all of our volunteers and supplies and vaccines to the Jones Center," said Linda Thompson with the Arkansas Department of Health.
H1N1 vaccines will be available at most sites, but the supply is so low health officials are holding them back for the people most at risk of severe complications from the new strain of flu. Those include pregnant women, children six months old to four years old, and children five to 18 that have underlying health problems such as asthma or diabetes.
Anyone with a fever the day of the clinic will not be able to receive a vaccination at all, as well as anyone with severe egg allergies since the vaccines are cultured in eggs.
With H1N1 cases reported in virtually every county in the state, and about a dozen deaths reported since April, health officials are urging people to vaccinate early for the flu, and are hoping that even with limited supplies their efforts will protect those that are the most at risk from this new strain of flu.
"We're in a pandemic now, it's not just an exercise anymore, and we're completely prepared for that," said Thompson.
