ANDERSON, Ind. — Madison County conducted its first public H1N1 vaccination clinic Wednesday evening as thousands of people lined up for a limited supply of inoculations against the virus commonly referred to as swine flu.
Nine-year-old Tommy Mullins said the shot didn’t even hurt as he left the clinic outside Hoosier Park with his family, who said they were pleased with the way the large-scale event was organized.
Not everyone agreed, and not everyone who came would get the vaccine.
“We got here at 20 after midnight,” Roxanne Fite said. The shots were advertised to be given beginning at 5 p.m., more than 16 hours after Fite arrived, on a first-come, first-served basis. “We were first in line, and now look where we are.”
Fite was among those who waited for the vaccinations in hundreds of cars parked at Hoosier Park shortly after 4 p.m. At the same time, bumper-to-bumper traffic crept into the casino entrances in lines that snaked all the way to Scatterfield Road and 38th and 53rd streets.
“It’s been really hectic out here,” said Pam Williams, who arrived at 2 p.m. to try to make sure her 3-year-old son, Dante, got the vaccine. She said county health officials would not distribute paperwork to be filled out by those who were waiting.
“It was all unorganized,” she said.
The Madison County Health Department had about 2,400 doses available for the Anderson event — a demand that was sure to overwhelm a supply that has been slow to come.
Health Department spokeswoman Kellie J. Kelly said as the event wore on that people would be turned away. Anderson police controlled traffic but could not offer estimates of the number of people in line after shots began at 5 p.m.
“We will offer them to come to our Alexandria clinic on the 12th,” she said.
Kelly said the vaccination clinic was a novel approach — drive-through inoculations in which those getting shots didn’t have to leave their vehicles. Its scope was also something new.
She said those seeking shots waited on average about 25 minutes from the time they received paperwork until they were vaccinated.
“For all of us, this method of vaccination delivery is something this generation has not seen,” she said, noting that agencies as far away as Florida have contacted the Health Department to learn about the format. “We’re one of the first sites to do a drive-through for H1N1.”
But even that has problems.
“I was on a bicycle and they said they would not allow me to come out here on a bicycle,” said Sonny Warner. “I don’t live but two or three blocks away.”
Brenda Davis helped out.
“I saw that he had a (tracheotomy), and I thought, ‘they can’t turn him away.’ I said I’d give him a ride.”
Some people said they walked in and were turned away, unless they, too, could hitch a ride.
By 7:30 p.m., about half of the supply had been used, which Kelly said was on schedule for an expected exhaustion of the supply by 9 p.m.
Kelly said the department was grateful to Hoosier Park for the use of the facility, and to volunteers who worked the clinic.
“We’re very pleased by the public response as well. We’ve had a lot of positive comments. That motivates us for our future clinics.”
Contact Dave Stafford: 648-4250, dave.stafford@heraldbulletin.com
More H1N1 vaccinations
* Alexandria: 4 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 12, Madison County 4-H Fairgrounds.
* More clinics, likely in Elwood and Anderson, are expected to be announced this week.
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