SUBMITTED REPORT

The Hays County Personal Health Department has exhausted its supply of seasonal flu vaccine and has canceled all of its seasonal flu clinics. Until further notice, flu vaccine is also no longer available at its clinics in San Marcos and Kyle.

Residents who are eligible to take seasonal flu intranasal mist are invited to participate in the PHD’s emergency response exercise, in which intranasal flu mist will be administered to drive-up participants. The flu mist will be available 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23 at the Old Bowie School in the 300 block of Staples Road in San Marcos (enter from Broadway Street off of Highway 123) and is free to eligible participants. The drill is designed to be a drive-through exercise and there is no provision for walk-up vaccinations.

Because the flu mist, which contains a weakened but live vaccine, is approved for only certain segments of the population, persons wanting to participate must be between two and 49 years old and not be pregnant.

In addition, participants must not have longterm health problems such as asthma; heart, lung, kidney or liver disease; metabolic diseases such as diabetes; anemia or other blood disorders; certain muscle or nerve disorders such as seizures or cerebral palsy; weakened immune system due to cancer or HIV/AIDS; a history of allergic reactions to eggs of previous flu vaccines; or have developed Guillain-Barre Syndrome.

– FROM HAYS COUNTY/LAUREEN CHERNOW

RELATED IN THE MERCURY:

• Hays County to distribute flu vaccine mist as part of emergency drill | October 12, 2009
• County opens flu vaccine clinic for ‘at risk’ populations | November 20, 2009
• County now offers H1N1 vaccine to everyone | December 14, 2009
• County offering season flu vaccine while it lasts | December 22, 2009
• County health department warns of whooping cough on the rise | January 29, 2010