McHenry Co. plans four more H1N1 clinics after more vaccine arrives

McHenry County health officials on Thursday announced four additional H1N1 clinics after welcoming their first shipment of an injectable form of the vaccine.

The appointment-only clinics will be held from 1 to 5 p.m. Nov. 16 at the McHenry County Department of Health in Woodstock; 4 to 8 p.m. Nov. 18 at Heineman Middle School in Algonquin; 1 to 5 p.m. Nov. 22 at McHenry County College in Crystal Lake; and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Nov. 23 at the McHenry Township offices in Johnsburg.

Appointments can be made online at www.mcdh.info or at 815-334-2800.

The shipment, officials said, will allow the county health department to provide 2,500 vaccinations for people classified as having first priority: pregnant women, caregivers of infants younger than 6 months of old, individuals between 4 and 24 years old, those between 25 and 64 years old with a chronic health condition, health care workers and first responders.

The injectable version of the vaccination has not been approved for children younger than 4 years old.

"This recent shipment of the H1N1 injectable vaccine allows us to continue to vaccinate and protect those who are most at risk for flu complications," Public Health Administrator Patrick J. McNulty said.

Through last Saturday, McHenry County's health care system had administered about 11,000 doses of the nasal spray version of the H1N1 vaccine, covering about 5.7 percent of the county's high risk individuals.

As of last week, 23 McHenry County residents had been hospitalized with the H1N1 flu, officials said. One, a 50-year-old Crystal Lake man who suffered from other medical problems, died as a result.