Written by Blake Mathews
Lynn McCarty of Student Health Services got an early Christmas present on Nov. 24 when she opened a package and found 500 doses of the H1N1 flu vaccine.
The vaccine for the highly-publicized virus has been hard to come by at the local, state and national levels. McCarty had ordered 1,000 doses, but she said she was still “quite surprised” to find any of the vaccine with her name on it.
“I was not sure what was in the package, since we order other medical supplies on a fairly regular basis,” she said.
The vaccines are ready for students who wish to be immunized against H1N1, but there is a $15 per person charge, since the vaccines were paid for by the Student Health Service’s budget. McCarty could not say how many students had received the vaccination, which is given through injection, but she said there was no shortage of doses yet.
McCarty said she had no way of knowing whether or not the other 500 doses of H1N1 vaccine she ordered would ever arrive. Before the flu season started she had ordered vaccines for the regular flu as well, though she said her supplier had backed out and that order would not be coming.
The H1N1 virus, more commonly known as “swine flu,” has been part of the public consciousness since last spring. The media storm surrounding it has largely passed over, and McCarty pointed to data from the Center for Disease Control that shows a “downward turn” in its spread. However, she said the number of flu cases being seen is still noticeably above average for this time of year.
Students wanting to get the vaccination must go to Student Health Services at 605 E. Center St., across the street from the Sears Honors House. McCarty and the rest of her staff can be reached at 501-279-4346.
