In Anchorage, the municipality's first public clinic for swine flu vaccinations will take place Saturday, but will be limited to residents who fall into one of the priority groups, city officials said Thursday.
The clinic is 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. -- or until the vaccine supply runs out -- at the UAA Student Union Building, 2921 Spirit Way.
The city had intended to begin public vaccinations Nov. 7, but held off due to a shortage of vaccine.
The clinic this Saturday is open to children and young adults ages 6 months to 24 years, pregnant women, those who are in contact with babies under 6 months old, health care workers, and people aged 25 to 64 with underlying health conditions that put them at greater risk if they catch the swine flu.
The health conditions covered include asthma, lung disease, heart disease, neurological and neuro-developmental conditions, diseases or medicines that weaken the immune system, and a variety of other disorders.
Those seeking the vaccine should bring identification and be ready to discuss their immunization history, city officials say. Parents are asked to bring their child's shot records if possible.
People who are sick with flu-like symptoms are asked not to come. They should wait to get vaccinated until their symptoms are gone for at least 24 hours.
For more information on vaccination clinics, people can call the municipal flu hotline at 343-2525, or visit the city's flu Web site at hhs.muni.org. To save time, people can fill out a form on the Web site to pre-register for the clinic.
MAT-SU CLINICS
In Mat-Su, a free clinic is scheduled for 3 to 7 p.m. today at Mat-Su College. The clinic is for the same priority groups targeted at Anchorage's clinic on Saturday. The entrance to the college is located off Mile 2 Trunk Road. The clinic is a joint effort of the Mat-Su Borough, the state Department of Health and Social Services and the college.
On Saturday, the Mat-Su Borough School District will hold a clinic for students from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. at Colony High School. The clinic last week provided a reported 1,200 vaccines, the borough said.
The borough is also expecting to hold a vaccine clinic Dec. 17 at the Menard Sports Center. Planning has begun for a small clinic in Willow and a clinic in Talkeetna. Local health care providers also have the H1N1 vaccine.
The borough hot line for vaccine clinic updates is 761-3700. The borough preparedness page is also under Info on the homepage www.matsugov.us.
For more information about H1N1, go to the federal Web site at www.pandemicflu.gov.
Important warning about e-mails purporting to be from the adn.com staff.