< Back to front page Text size – +

Boston holding swine flu vaccine clinics this weekend

E-mail | Print | Comments () Posted by Gideon Gil December 2, 2009 02:06 PM

Facebook
E-mail

By Stephen Smith, Globe Staff

For the first time, Boston health authorities are making vaccine against swine flu widely available to the public at events scheduled for this weekend, the city's health agency announced today.

The vaccine is being targeted at Boston residents 3 years and older who are at significant risk of complications from the H1N1 virus that causes swine flu. That includes pregnant women; all youths between 3 and 24; people who care for infants younger than 6 months; medical and emergency workers with direct patient contact; and adults 25 through 64 with asthma, heart disease, diabetes, and other chronic conditions.

Vaccine will be offered from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at Hyde Park High School, 665 Metropolitan Ave.; and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at the William Ohrenberger School, 175 West Boundary Rd., in West Roxbury. Vaccine against seasonal flu strains will not be available at either event.

Until now, shots and nasal spray against swine flu have been available through physician offices, clinics, and hospitals. The scheduling of public forums to dispense vaccine is evidence that supplies are becoming more bountiful.

The federal government is buying the nation's entire cache of swine flu vaccine, so there will be no charge for people receiving the immunization at the weekend events.

Facebook
E-mail

« Back to front page

About white coat notes

White Coat Notes covers the latest from the health care industry, hospitals, doctors offices, labs, insurers, and the corridors of government. Chelsea Conaboy previously covered health care for The Philadelphia Inquirer. Write her at cconaboy@boston.com. Follow her on Twitter: @cconaboy.

Daily Dose | More Health&Wellness

health answers

Long-term health consequences to being born prematurely? It's estimated that each year nearly 500,000 babies in the United States are born prematurely, or before 37 weeks of pregnancy. Submit question | More answers