Utica (WSYR-TV) – The Oneida County Health Department held an H1N1 vaccination clinic Wednesday for the most vulnerable people including children, pregnant women and people with underlying medical conditions.
The event was packed, but kids made the most of it by turning the long wait into a playground of sorts. Most of the families who attended had no choice but to spend their day waiting. Aaron Cornish’s pediatrician told him to bring his children. “We've called here over the last two weeks to find out when something like this was happening,” Cornish said.
The Cornish family vowed to wait at the clinic until her children got the vaccine.
Kirk Mettel had previously tried to get the vaccine for his children from his pediatrician, but without any luck. “We called the pediatrician and they don't have it. Don't know when they're getting it,” he said.
Beverly Edwards brought her grandson to the clinic. “Owen has RSV [Respiratory Syncytial Virus] so he's compromised,” she said. “The pediatrician doesn't have it yet, the school isn't offering it till January, that's a long time to wait for someone who could potentially be very ill.”
In general, they all said that a few hours here is well worth it in the long run.
The county ordered 1,500 doses of the vaccine, an inventory split between the injectable kind and the flu mist, for children.
