Fulton to inoculate kids first for swine flu

Health officials say vaccine may be available Wednesday

Fulton County health officials say they hope to receive an initial shipment of swine flu vaccine Tuesday and start distributing it a day or two later to children ages 2 to 4 and their caregivers, officials said Friday.

Fulton health spokeswoman April Majors said the county isn’t sure it will receive the 5,300 doses Tuesday, as it depends on the mail system. But if it does, it will begin giving the vaccinations as early as Wednesday at its eight public health clinics.

Due to the limited amount, the state has advised local health districts to offer the nasal spray to healthy children ages 2 to 4 and their caregivers, officials said. These children are more susceptible to contract and spread the illness, they said.

While health officials are stressing the need to inoculate children, they noted that no one who can receive the vaccine will be turned away from a clinic.

For children, a parent or guardian must be present for the child to receive a dose.

These initial doses of swine flu vaccine will be free at the county health clinics and will come in the form of a nasal spray. Health officials advise that pregnant women and people with compromised immune systems not receive the nasal spray, since it is made of a weakened live virus.

People can also receive a vaccine for seasonal flu at the clinics.

The children receiving the nasal spray vaccine will need a second vaccine one month after the initial dose, officials said.

State health officials say the vaccine could arrive in numerous counties as early as Tuesday. Officials say more vaccine is expected to follow this month.

Fulton officials said anyone who wants to receive the vaccine will eventually be able to get it.

At the clinics, people will be asked to provide a list of all known allergies, medical conditions and medications.

For further information, call 404-730-1211 or visit www.fulton countygahealth.org.

The Fulton health clinic locations are: the North Fulton Regional Health Center, 3155 Royal Drive, Suite 125, Alpharetta; the Adamsville Health Center, 3699 Bakers Ferry Road, southwest Atlanta; the Sandy Springs Health Center, 330 Johnson Ferry Road, northeast Atlanta; the Center Hill Health Center, 3201 Atlanta Industrial Parkway, Suite 302, northwest Atlanta; the Center for Health and Rehabilitation, 265 Boulevard, northeast Atlanta; the Neighborhood Union Health Center, 186 Sunset Ave., northwest Atlanta; the Lakewood Health Center, 1853 Jonesboro Road, southeast Atlanta; the College Park Regional Health Center, 1920 John Wesley Ave., College Park.