Public health officials around the Tri-State are urging patience for families anxious about finding the swine flu vaccine.
With some of the initial vaccine supplies very tight; H1N1 vaccine clinics like the one scheduled for Tuesday evening at the Mason Municipal Building at 6000 Mason-Montgomery Road will offer the nasal spray to those considered at highest risk for flu complications. That's people between 2 and 24 years old, along with adults who care for babies or are health or emergency workers.
The idea behind the flu vaccine restrictions is to try to avoid the long lines and overcrowding we saw at the Butler County Fairgrounds in Hamilton last week, where thousands of peopel stood in long lines in hopes of getting a shot or the nasal spray.
Safety problems and parking forced officials there to stop accepting new patients within two hours of starting their vaccination clinic.
The Hamilton County Health District and Northern Kentucky Health Departments have yet to announce any vaccination clinics, because they just haven't gotten enough of the vaccine yet.
Meanwhile, the Clermont County Health Department is focusing its first vaccine supplies on school children. It will be holding several in-school flu vaccine clinics at various schools throughout the county on Tuesday.
Slow vaccine production is blamed for making health departments, hospitals and doctors wait for their vaccine supplies. Federal health officials say within the next month or so, they expect to have adequate vaccine supplies to give the vaccine to almost anyone who wants it.
The H1N1 vaccine clinic at the Mason Municipal Building will run Tuesday evening from 5 p.m. until 6:30 p.m.
