County will offer free H1N1 vaccine for all

David Gulliver - posted 11:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 30

The Sarasota County Health Department is offering free H1N1 swine flu vaccinations for all county residents on Saturday, Dec. 5.

Previously, the agency had been providing the vaccine only to people at highest risk of contracting the illness. But after multiple rounds of vaccine for those groups, and with more vaccine arriving steadily, officials have opened up the process to all.

The vaccination clinics will be from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the main Health Department center, 2200 Ringling Blvd., Sarasota, and Woodmere Community Park and Recreation Center, 3951 Woodmere Park Blvd., Venice.

The vaccine will be available in the inhalable FluMist form, which is preservative-free but uses a weakened, live version of the virus, and the injectable form, which comes in multi-dose vials and requires a preservative. (For more information, see our primer on the vaccine here.)

People seeking the vaccine must either fill out a consent form at the clinic site or download and fill out the form in advance. The form, and more information about the vaccine, is available at the county's website here.

Officials say people need both the H1N1 vaccine and the seasonal flu vaccine because they protect against different viruses. The injectable versions of the vaccine can be received on the same day, but people need to wait 28 days between doses of the vaccines in FluMist form.

 

 

 

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