Hundreds turn out for vaccine clinic

700 of 1,800 doses of FluMist administered.

Jill Carraher of Lebanon holds her 2-year-old daughter Addy as she receives the H1N1 vaccine nasal spray, administered by Mary Coyle, RN. The Warren County Health Department offered the nasal FluMist vaccine Saturday, Oct. 24, at the Warren County Fairgounds in Lebanon. The vaccine was available to children and young adults aged 2 to 24, adults 25 to 49 who care for a child younger than 6 months, or a health care provider with no chronic health conditions.

Staff photo by Samantha Grier Jill Carraher of Lebanon holds her 2-year-old daughter Addy as she receives the H1N1 vaccine nasal spray, administered by Mary Coyle, RN. The Warren County Health Department offered the nasal FluMist vaccine Saturday, Oct. 24, at the Warren County Fairgounds in Lebanon. The vaccine was available to children and young adults aged 2 to 24, adults 25 to 49 who care for a child younger than 6 months, or a health care provider with no chronic health conditions.

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By Ed Richter, Staff Writer Updated 1:34 PM Monday, October 26, 2009

LEBANON — Milder temperatures, plenty of parking and vaccines kept Warren County’s H1N1 flu vaccine clinic at the Lebanon Raceway/Warren County Fairgrounds moving smoothly Saturday morning, Oct. 24.

People started to arrive at the fairgrounds after midnight, and Health Commissioner Duane Stansbury said at 6 a.m. there already was a line to enter the grandstand area for the FluMist vaccine for the H1N1 flu, also known as swine flu.

“We can’t afford to get sick,” said Lisa Cecil of Lebanon who brought one of her three sons to the clinic Saturday and has insisted they all get the vaccine. “If there are any preventative measures available, we’re going to take them.”

Gwen Motley of Carlisle came with her two daughters, ages 3 and 6, and said she was concerned about the new influenza strain.

“There was a huge outbreak at my kid’s school, and a neighbor’s little kid was in the hospital with pneumonia,” she said. “I really don’t want to deal with it. It’s scary.”

Stansbury said he was prepared for a large turnout and was aware of the crush of people who turned out the day before in neighboring Butler County, forcing the health department there to shut down its clinic to new arrivals within an hour of opening. But that was not the case in Warren County, which was only distributing the nasal vaccine not recommended for pregnant women or those with chronic health conditions.

“It ran extremely well and better than expected,” said Karen DeRosa of Springboro. She and her husband, Tony, brought their four children to the clinic and were done in just over an hour.

The county health department had more than 1,800 doses of the vaccine, though Stansbury said only about 700 doses were distributed during its two-hour clinic.

Amy Vaughan of Mason brought her daughter to the clinic and said her wait was only about a half-hour.

“I think it’s smart and a good idea (to get the vaccinations),” she said. “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. I’m worried about it but not anywhere near panic. But there are a lot of kids in the neighborhood that have had it in Mason.”

Posted around the grandstand were signs promoting the health district’s replacement levy on the Nov. 3 ballot.

Stansbury said another flu clinic is tentatively set for 5 to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Mason City Building.

More vaccines are expected from the state sometime next week. For more information, call (513) 695-1228.

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