Marry Darrow of Cedar Rapids holds her son Timothy, 4, as he receives the H1N1 nasal spray vaccine from nurse Cheryl Stark of Tipton during the H1N1 vaccine clinic at Hawkeye Downs on Thursday afternoon, Dec. 3, 2009. (Liz Martin/The Gazette)
More than 2,200 free H1N1 vaccine doses were administered this week during Linn County Public Health clinics, including a walk-in clinic Thursday at Hawkeye Downs.
Curtis Dickson, director of Linn County Public Health, said the clinics will be the last mass efforts this month.
The focus will turn toward specific high-risk groups, including dental workers and college students before the holiday break. Walgreens and other outlets also will be provided vaccine, but the priority groups remain the same.
Dickson said the vaccine has been in plentiful supply, but the categories are still restricted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Those groups are: pregnant women; household contacts and caregivers, including day-care providers, for children younger than 6 months; health care and emergency medical services personnel; anyone 6 months to 24 years old; and anyone 25 to 64 years old with health conditions associated with higher risk of complications, such as asthma.
Dickson hopes the CDC will open the guidelines to include the general population sometime in January.
About 300 people took advantage of the walk-in clinic this afternoon for free vaccine. Another 1,300 were seen by appointment on Tuesday and 668 by appointment this morning.
Dickson said he is also considering school-bsed clinics, which he called a massive undertaking with 11 Linn County school districts.
Johnson County will have a vaccination clinic from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, by appointment only. Call (319) 688-5894 to schedule.