"the People's Paths!" Cherokee News Path - CN, County Health Department Offering H1N1 Vaccine

TAHLEQUAH, Oklahoma - As part of a joint partnership, the Cherokee Nation and the Cherokee County Health Department will be offering an H1N1 Flu Vaccine clinic on Saturday, November 7, from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. at the Cherokee County Health Department East Building, located at 912 S. College Avenue in Tahlequah.

“We are pleased to be able to partner with the Cherokee County Health Department in this endeavor,” said Chad Smith, Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation. “By working together, we can help more area residents obtain the vaccine and stay healthy.”

The clinics will be limited to Oklahoma residents who are in one of five priority groups, which include all children ages six months to 18 years, pregnant women, custodial parents of infants less than six months of age, front-line health care workers who have direct patient contact with acutely ill persons, and adults 19 – 64 years of age with chronic disease.

“This will be the second big flu clinic that we’ve done this year with the County Health Department,” said Dr. Gloria Grim, Medical Director for the Cherokee. “We were able to vaccinate almost 3,000 people during a Seasonal Flu Drive-Thru Clinic in October at Cherokee Nation Hastings Hospital, and we’re glad to be involved again for this special H1N1 Clinic on Saturday at the County Health Department.”

People seeking vaccinations will be screened to ensure that they meet the priority group definition for H1N1 vaccination for this week. People not included in one of the priority groups or who are unable to attend Saturday’s clinic are encouraged to be patient. Additional vaccine shipments arrive in Oklahoma each week, and priority groups are being expanded as the needs of the earlier priority groups are being met.

“The H1N1 flu virus continues to affect families in our community,” said Linda Axley, Administrative Director for the Cherokee County Health Department. “We know that the people in these priority groups are at greater risk and we hope to reach as many of them as vaccine supplies allow on Saturday. We will have approximately 1,000 doses of vaccine to administer and are asking folks to call in for a ‘reservation’ ahead of time so that they won’t have a long wait in line for their immunization.”

Additional vaccine shipments arrive in Oklahoma each week, and priority groups are being expanded as the needs of the earlier priority groups are being met. The Oklahoma State Department of Health and the Cherokee Nation are projected to receive H1N1 vaccine in weekly shipments through early January 2010. The doses include both nasal spray and injectable vaccines.

For more information or to make a reservation for the vaccine, call the Cherokee County Health Department, phone: 918-456-8826.