HAMILTON, Ohio -- People hoping to get vaccinated for the H1N1 virus in Butler County on Friday will no longer be able to.
Due to overwhelming response at the Butler County Fairgrounds, officials said they will no longer accept new patients looking to get the vaccination.
"Overwhelming response," said Butler county Health Department director Pat Burg in a statement that no more people could be accepted at the clinic at the county fairgrounds in Hamilton.
At 9 a.m., there were already hundreds of people lined up for the vaccination-- an hour before the clinic opened. Entire families waited patiently for their turn to get to one of the almost dozen nursing stations. Nurses were busy giving out either H1N1 vaccine injections or the nasal spray version.
Officials eventually had to close the parking lots for safety reasons.
Traffic packed busy Route 4 outside the fairgrounds and vehicles filled nearby parking. Authorities said they had received inquiries from people as far away as Tennessee about getting the vaccine.
Fairfield Nurse Linda Bradley came to the Fairgrounds over 90 minutes before the clinic opened. She says she did it to protect a patient with a lung condition that she cares for. She says the patient is on a ventilator.
Health officials are asking those who want the H1N1 vaccine not to come to the Fairgrounds on Friday, unless they are already in line.
The clinic was offering free vaccinations to those deemed most at risk from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. Now, those people not able to get the vaccination on Friday will have to go back on Saturday. The clinic at 1715 Fairgrove Avenue in Hamilton is offering the vaccination on Saturday from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m.
Online pre-registration is required by visiting this
Web site.
Nasal spray and injectable H1N1 vaccines will be available only for the following groups:
* Pregnant women
* People who live with or care for infants younger than six months old
* Health care and emergency medical personnel
* Anyone from six months through 24 years of age
* Anyone from 25 through 64 years of age with certain chronic medical conditions or a weakened immune system
The Cincinnati Health Department began offering vaccinations this week for school children and also held a special free clinic for pregnant women Thursday evening.
Spokesman Rocky Merz said about 200 pregnant women received the vaccine, while more than 300 others who called to register were told to wait for future opportunities.
The Ohio H1N1 Information line is open 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Friday. Please call 1-866-800-1404 for answers to your questions about H1N1.
At least 95 children have died from the illness since April, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday.
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The Associated Press contributed to this story.
