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St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Lee Enterprises

Sunday, November 29, 2009 9:03 PM CST
Coles County Health Department plans more H1N1 flu clinics

By the JG/T-C

CHARLESTON — The Coles County Health Department has scheduled swine flu vaccination clinics for two days next month.

Vaccinations for this strain of flu, also called H1N1, will be on Dec. 10 from 4 to 8 p.m. and Dec. 11 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., an announcement from the department said.

Meanwhile, people who are in categories most at-risk for complications from the flu can call the department at 348-0530 for an appointment, the announcement said. Currently, the vaccination is only available to:

n Pregnant women, all of whom require a written doctor’s order to receive the vaccine;

n People who have contact with or care for children younger than 6 months of age;

n Health care and emergency medical services personnel;

n All people age 6 months to 24 years;

n People at the ages of 25 through 64 years who are at higher risk for complications due to chronic health disorders or compromised immune systems.

The announcement also said the department is asking people who aren’t in the risk categories to be patient, and vaccine will be available for them upon approval from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Illinois Department of Public Health.

The department suggests checking news reports and the department’s Web site, www.co.coles.il.us/cchd/index.html, for upcoming clinic schedules, the announcement said.

It also said people who are experiencing flu-like symptoms shouldn’t come to the vaccination clinics. To help prevent spreading both swine flu and seasonal flu, people are urged to:

n Cover coughs and sneezes with an arm or sleeve. Tissues used to cover coughs and sneezes should be thrown away immediately. Hands should be washed after a cough or sneeze into hands or tissues.

n Frequently wash hands with adequate amounts of soap and for at least 20 seconds each time.

n Stay home if ill. The CDC recommends that people stay home for at least 24 hours after fever is gone without taking fever-reducing medications.

The announcement said more information is available by calling the department and on its Web site, www.co.coles.il.us/cchd.

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