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H1N1 vaccine offered to everyone at flu clinic

By Brandi Hodges - bio | email

JONESBORO, AR (KAIT) - The best way to avoid H1N1 is to get vaccinated.  Hundreds lined up Thursday morning in the cold for their chance at the H1N1 vaccine.

"Well, I'm waiting in line to get a flu shot," said Clarence Courtright.

People started standing in lines outside two hours before the clinic opened and then moved to lines inside.  This is the second clinic at ASU to provide flu shots.  The first time, they ran out of the vaccines.

"Everyone's out here because it's worth the wait," said Serena Green.

Nakeli Hendrix and her daughter Sophia are here to get their regular and H1N1 shots because they couldn't find them anywhere else.

"I've called everywhere around Jonesboro, and no one has flu shots anymore so this is our last chance," said Hendrix.

During the last flu clinic, only young children could get the H1N1 vaccine. This time it's open to everyone.  Two nurses or nursing students manned 17 stations inside the Convocation Center to move people through the line often giving people a shot in each arm.

"We've had more demand from the public, and we've gotten vaccine in at different times," said Craighead County Health Unit Administrator Amy Howell.

Getting their share of the dose is very important to everyone.

"I just want to make sure my baby's protected because she's more susceptible to getting the flu," said Hendrix.

"She goes to daycare and the chances that she could be exposed to the regular flu or the H1N1 are pretty high," Green.

"We want our community to stay healthy, and some people would not come if we didn't give it for free," said Howell.

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