Efficiency expected at today’s H1N1 clinics
Monroe County residents at today’s H1N1 vaccination clinics can expect to be screened for medical conditions by someone other than the nurse giving the vaccine. Additionally, those nurses will already have had the syringes filled as health officials work to make the clinics more efficient.
Health Department officials planned to meet Friday with the three agencies contracted to provide the shots and institute best practices that would allow each site to reach a goal of vaccinating approximately 200 people per hour, according to spokesman John Ricci.
That goal was met Thursday at Penfield Town Hall and at the Dome Center, where 2,700 people received the vaccine. All told, approximately 8,000 doses were administered, although an exact number won’t be known until all the forms from attendees are counted.
Meetings with county staff who oversaw Thursday’s operations identified two key areas that could minimize the wait. Separating the screening and the injection process will relieve a burden from the nurses giving the vaccine, and allowing support nurses to draw the doses also will speed the process.
The county has 10,000 doses for today’s clinics for high-risk people. The changes in procedure should allow all sites to hit their goals. Extra doses from Thursday will possibly be distributed to physicians who have not received any vaccine.
The Blue Cross Arena at the Community War Memorial replaces the Dome Center for today’s clinic. Ricci said it was hard to predict whether that would be the busiest site. “Everyone knows where it is,” he said.
The county did not release any more information about a male resident whose death about a week ago is associated with H1N1.
H1N1 clinics
The free H1N1 vaccination clinics are for Monroe County residents in the following risk groups: pregnant women; persons 6 months to 24 years old; household contacts and caregivers of infants younger than 6 months; adults between 25 and 64 who are at higher risk of complications because of underlying health conditions; health care workers and emergency responders. If the parent can’t be with a minor, the child can be accompanied by an adult relative who has the parent’s written consent for vaccination.
Monroe County: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. today at Blue Cross Arena, downtown (free parking at the Civic Center garage from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.); Medley Centre; Penfield Town Hall, 3100 Atlantic Ave.; West End Business Center, 803 West Ave.; First Bible Baptist Church, 990 Manitou Road, Hilton. Call (585) 753-5600, option 3, or www.monroecounty.gov/health.
Ontario County: 2 to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Bristol Field House, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Routes 5 & 20, Geneva.
Wayne County: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. today, Red Creek High School, 6574 South St.; 3 to 7 p.m. Monday, North Rose-Wolcott High School, 11631 Salter-Colvin Road, Wolcott.
Orleans County: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. today, Orleans County Health Department. Call (800) 889-1903 or go to www.orleansny.com and click “Public Health.”
Livingston County: 4 to 7 p.m. Dec. 2, Highway Department, Hamptons Corners, Gypsy Lane, Groveland; 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 4, Livingston County Department of Health, 2 Murray Hill Drive, Mount Morris.
