H1N1 vaccine finally available in El Paso County

After a long wait for the H1N1 vaccine, El Paso County has a stash for people at high risk of getting or suffering complications from the flu.

Nearly four dozen pharmacies have received the vaccine, according to the El Paso County Department of Health and Environment. And on Wednesday, the health department plans to vaccinate at least 2,000 people at the first of four clinics scheduled through Nov. 19. Several area health care providers have also received the vaccine for their patients.

Supplies are limited, but this is the first time since the pandemic began that the vaccine has been available to area residents who are not health care workers or patients of certain health care providers. The health department had to cancel several public clinics because of delays in getting the vaccine.

The health department says the following pharmacies have received vaccine, but people are advised to call ahead to check availability and whether appointments are required:

• Walgreens, 21 locations.
• Safeway, 12 locations.
• King Soopers, 10 locations.
• Target, three locations.
• Village Pharmacy.

The vaccine is being offered to people considered to be high priority by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: pregnant women; people who live with or care for infants younger than 6 months; health care workers; people 6 months through 24 years old; and people 25 through 64 years old who have chronic medical conditions such as asthma or diabetes that put them at higher risk.

Cases of H1N1 appear to have peaked last month, health officials have said, but the disease remains widespread. There have been 34 flu-related deaths in Colorado and 1,553 hospitalizations as of the end of October, according to the state health department. There have been 117 hospitalizations in El Paso County.

The schedule for the El Paso County clinics:

• Wednesday, 10 a.m., Coronado High School,1590 W. Fillmore St.
• Friday 8:30 a.m., New Life Church,11025 Voyager Parkway
• Nov. 17, 4 p.m., Harrison High School, 2755 Janitell Road.
• Nov. 19, 10 a.m., The Hangar, 6436 S. Highway 85/87 Suite R, Fountain

Meanwhile, a 22-year-old mother of two in critical condition with H1N1 is showing signs of improvement, her father said Friday. Kayla Kammrad of Cañon City remains in a coma at Penrose Hospital, where she’s been for two weeks, but her doctor is optimistic she might turn a corner, said Mike Williams.

A fund has been set up to benefit her family. People can make donations to the Kayla Williams Kammrad Fund at any Pueblo Bank and Trust branch

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Call Newsome at 636-0198. Visit the Pikes Peak Health blog at http://www.pikespeakhealth.freedomblogging.com/ and the Gazette’s Health page at www.gazette.com/health.

Track flu cases in your state with the FluTracker map, provided by Rhiza Labs: