Next free H1N1 vaccination clinic is Dec. 11

The Eastern Highlands Health District is offering a free H1N1 vaccination clinic on Friday, Dec. 11. You do not have to have health insurance in order to take advantage of this clinic.

The clinic is open to residents in the towns served by the EHHD, which includes Andover, Ashford, Bolton, Chaplin, Columbia, Coventry, Mansfield, Scotland, Tolland and Willington.

This clinic is especially recommended for children younger than 10 who need a second dose that follows four weeks after the first dose.

You must pre-register to receive the vaccination. And you must be someone who falls within the current priority groups:

Pregnant women;

Adults (age 19-64) with chronic medical conditions that put them at a higher risk for influenza-related complications. These include:

• Asthma
• Neurological and neurodevelopmental conditions [including disorders of the brain, spinal cord, peripheral nerve, and muscle such as cerebral palsy, epilepsy (seizure disorders), stroke, intellectual disability (mental retardation), moderate to severe developmental delay, muscular dystrophy, or spinal cord injury].
• Chronic lung disease (such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease [COPD] and cystic fibrosis)
• Heart disease (such as congenital heart disease, congestive heart failure and coronary artery disease)
• Blood disorders (such as sickle cell disease)
• Endocrine disorders (such as diabetes mellitus)
• Kidney disorders
• Metabolic disorders (such as inherited metabolic disorders and mitochondrial disorders)
• Weakened immune system due to disease or medication (such as people with HIV or AIDS, or cancer, or those on chronic steroids)

Caregivers and household contacts of infants under 6 months;

Children ages 6 months through 18 years old.  (All children younger than 18 must be accompanied at the clinic by a parent or guardian.)

The clinic will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 11th in COVENTRY. The specific location will be disclosed to those who register online at www.ehhd.org. If you or someone you know doesn’t have access to a home computer, registration also may be done at the local public library.

Absolutely no walk-ins will be allowed.

Posted Dec. 9, 2009