Housatonic Times: In New Milford, Little Wait For Flu Vaccines

Check out this article that appeared in the Nov. 20 issue of the Housatonic Times, written by Scott Benjamin:

New Milford Health Director Michael Crespan said that as of late last week vaccination clinics in town already had completed more than 1,000 immunizations for the H1N1, swine flu virus, and four more are scheduled before Thanksgiving as it focuses on the priority populations, such as people from 6 months to 24 years of age. He said that the other high-risk populations are the elderly, people with medical conditions, emergency medical services personnel and pregnant women.

“With the younger population, it had been 6 months to 18 years of age, but we got a communication Nov. 10 that it should be expanded up to 24 years of age,” Mr. Crespan said.

Terry Rabatsky-Ehr of the state Department of Public Health (DPH) recommended that people take such precautions as covering their coughs, washing their hands frequently and staying at home if they’re sick.

Mr. Crespan has been distributing public information on the flu virus for months. He gave a public presentation Sept. 10 and then provided an update to the Town Council Oct. 13.

Ms. Rabatsky-Ehr said the DPH has a hot line at 800- 830-9426 for people who need information about the H1N1 influenza or want to find out where vaccination clinics are being held.

Mr. Crespan said that the department and other municipal agencies have been able to take appointments and set up an efficient schedule where there is little wait time for people when they go to a clinic.

“That hasn’t always been the case in some of the other towns,” the municipal health director said. “We’ve set it up so that there is not a significant wait.”

Mr. Crespan said that the six schools in the New Milford district have sent communications to parents about vaccination clinics that are available at the schools.

State Rep. David Scribner (R-Brookfield) has said that it probably is “a miracle” that a vaccination was developed within months after the first concerns about the H1N1 virus surfaced this spring.

Ms. Rabatsky-Ehr said that pandemics of this kind usually occur about every 40 years.

She noted that the Hong Kong flu surfaced in 1968 and 1969.