Reports of the slow introduction of the flu shot for the H1N1 virus are widely known but the follow up locally isn’t. Here’s an update from City Hall on the almost 5,000 vaccine disbursement:
City of Hoboken Distributes Nearly 5000 H1N1 Vaccines
and Plans Public Clinics
City of Hoboken, December 3, 2009 – As part of its ongoing efforts to help protect residents against the spread of the H1N1 Swine Flu virus, Mayor Dawn Zimmer announced today that the City of Hoboken has distributed nearly 5,000 vaccines to health care providers in the community. Health & Human Services Director Leo Pellegrini, who co-chairs Hoboken’s H1N1 Swine Flu Task Force, also announced that the City is finalizing plans to hold free public clinics for residents at the Hoboken University Medical Center (HUMC). Director Pellegrini indicated that as soon as the Federal Government delivers the necessary syringes to administer the vaccine, the clinics will begin to take place.
“We want to thank the participating health care providers in our community for partnering with us to help ensure that the people of Hoboken have the opportunity to get vaccinated against the H1N1 Swine Flu virus,” said Mayor Zimmer. “Those pediatricians and other healthcare providers that requested the vaccine have received nearly 5,000 doses to administer to their patients and that distribution project, along with our public clinics, will go a long way in protecting the target populations from the virus.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) target groups for the H1N1 vaccination are pregnant women, healthcare workers, people six months to 24 years of age, caregivers to anyone under six months of age, and those 25 to 64 years of age with underlying medical conditions.
Almost a dozen health care providers, including pediatricians and clinics have received vaccines to administer to their patients. “The partnership the City of Hoboken has created with local healthcare providers has been extremely helpful in protecting our community from the spread of the H1N1 virus,” said Dr. Angelo Caprio of the HUMC. “This program has worked remarkably well.”
Hoboken’s H1N1 Swine Flu Task Force which includes the Health Department, Office of Emergency Management, the Mayor’s Office, HUMC and community volunteers would also like to remind the public that the best defense against the spread of the virus or the seasonal flu is properly washing your hands, covering your cough and sneeze, staying at home if you are sick and receiving vaccines from your private health care provider or through the City’s upcoming H1N1 Swine Flu virus immunization program.
For more information about Hoboken’s ongoing efforts to combat the H1N1 Swine Flu virus, contact the City’s Registered Environmental Health Specialist Lynette Medeiros at 201-420-2375.