Long Branch plans for H1N1 vaccinations

Long Branch plans for H1N1 vaccinations
City receives $90K in state funds for vaccinations
BY KENNY WALTER Staff Writer

LONG BRANCH — The city has received $90,486 in grant funding from the state Department of Health and Senior Services for the upcoming flu season.

The City Council voted 4-0 at the Sept. 22 meeting to approve the resolution that accepted the funding for flu shots. Councilman Anthony Giordano was absent for the vote.

At the workshop meeting that preceded the vote, Long Branch Director of Health David Roach addressed the council about flu season and the grant money.

"This will offset some of the cost associated with our activities," Roach said. "That will able us to offset expenses and do some hiring of part-time people."

Roach said that at this time it is not clear how much additional cost the health department will incur this season because of the H1N1 vaccines, but he expects the grant money will cover most of it.

He said last week the flu shots, including for the H1N1 strain, will be available free of charge at several locations where the vaccinations will be administered by nurses.

The current schedule for seasonal flu inoculations is: Oct. 3 from 9 a.m. to noon. at the Long Branch Middle School; Oct. 6 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at City Hall on Broadway; and Oct. 6 from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Senior Center on Second Avenue.

Roach said that the health department is setting up clinics for the seasonal flu inoculations for early October, which is earlier than most years because of the anticipated cases of H1N1.

"We basically moved up those inoculations," he said.

"The biggest issue is how the H1N1 influences the situation," Roach added. "That has been getting a lot of our attention the last several weeks and will continue to do so throughout the whole flu season."

Roach said the H1N1 vaccine is expected to become available sometime in October.

"It's taking a lot of time, a lot of effort," he said. "It's not in stone yet. We are all working together to deliver the vaccine when it becomes available."

He said one concern is that there will be a limited number of doses of the H1N1 vaccine, and the Health Department is still trying to figure out the best way to distribute the vaccine.

"Since it is a limited number of doses, we are all going to manage where it goes and try to work with those individuals that need it," he said. "So we are planning clinics, we are planning H1N1 regional and local clinics, we are working with the schools to deliver the vaccine."

The Health Department is also disseminating

information on the H1N1 flu.

"On our own website, www.visitlongbranch.com, we are delivering information and we are working with other organizations about what's going to be available and when it's available,"

Roach said.

Roach also said that there are certain age groups that

are at greater risk for H1N1 than others, including children, people suffering from chronic illnesses, and pregnant women, who are considered high-risk groups.

"We are going to follow the state and CDC [Centers for Disease Control] guidelines in terms of the high-risk groups," he said.

According to Roach, children are the highest risk group for the H1N1.

"Children are one of the high-risk group from 6 months to 24 [months]," he said.

Contact Kenny Walter at

kwalter@gmnews.com.


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