There's still plenty of flu vaccine left
By Bonnie Edwards
Published in News on December 17, 2007 1:45 PM
Thomas Smith forced himself to turn into the Health Department parking lot Thursday morning to get his annual flu shot.
"It's so convenient here," he said about the Wayne County Health Department on Ash Street. "I don't usually have to wait long. But I don't mind waiting. It gives me a chance to relax, and the staff is so helpful."
The clinic has plenty of vaccine doses to make it through the season to March, and signs are out front to remind those who have not yet gotten their shot.
"I'm running late this year, because I've been so busy," Smith said. "Normally, I'm rushing to school."
He usually gets his flu shot earlier in the season, but he has been busy since he retired from the Air Force and started working as a behavior consultant at Dillard Academy Charter School. Before he retired, he volunteered two years at the school.
But Thursday, he made room in his busy schedule to continue his tradition of getting his annual flu shot. It had been mandatory in the Air Force. Now, it's a choice.
And it's a wise choice, said Rosa Vaughn, a registered nurse who serves as the Health Department's program manager for communicable disease.
There's plenty to go around, she said. When she checked Monday, the immunization nurses had a little more than 1,800 doses left.
"It's more than enough," Mrs. Vaughn said.
That was not the case a couple years ago, when one of the manufacturers had a problem with a vaccine batch, That put the entire world supply short.
"Last year was fine," Mrs. Vaughn added. "We had some left over -- not much, though."
Flu shots are available between the hours of 8 and 11:30 a.m. and 1 and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.
For more information, call 731-1272.