WILLIAMSON – The Mingo County Health Department does not have enough supplies of seasonal flu vaccine to do a full-scale vaccination program at this time but is providing immunizations to children 18 years of age and younger.

Department Administrator Cathy L. Headen advised the Mingo Board of Health at its montly meeting Thursday that children are being given the flu vaccine on Tuesday and Thursday of each week from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., depending on nurse availability.

The federal Centers for Disease Control have changed their recommendation and encouraged local health departments to administer the seasonal flu vaccine in September. This will allow more people to be protected against the seasonal flu, which can start as early as October or November and last through the spring. Getting the vaccine early just means people will be protected longer.

Meanwhile, the county health department is faced with the task of doing seasonal and H1N1 vaccinations in county schools. This was discussed at yesterday’s Board of Health meeting.

With a limited number of nurses, the department may have to look to volunteers and contract nurses to help provide the immunizations, and much will depend on the department’s budget.

Administrator Headen, Bernice Johnson, RNC, and Amanda Davis, Office Assistant III, were to travel to Charleston today to attend a meeting concerning public health emergency response grants. This concerns the H1N1 vaccine vaccinations. The meeting was to be held at the Charleston Marriott.

“The authorities want us to go into the schools of our county and provide two H1N1 shots to each child, three weeks apart,” Headen said. The Board of Health discussed the situation at its meeting yesterday and decisions will be made as necessary to insure that this county’s immunization program proceeds with dispatch and success.

Headen said the department will announce further plans for immunizations in the school and for the public whenver hey are completed and when vaccine becomes available.