H1N1 Clinics

[Anonymous]

I want to get my son vaccinated this week if possible. Doctors here don't have it yet (a friend of mine in NY got a shot this week for her son at her pediatricians office, not sure why distribution is different for different states) so I think might go to one of the flu clinics. My son is 4 (with asthma) so I'm trying to figure out the logistics of a long wait. Any advice?

[Anonymous]

I'm in the same boat as you (son with asthma). I was thinking of swinging by the Piccard Drive Health Center in Rockville next Wednesday at around 8:30 (vaxes start at 9am) and see what the line looks like. If it looks manageable, I'll stay. If not, I'll keep waiting for my doc to get it. But the thought of standing in line for 2+ hours with a 2 year old is a little terrifying.

[Anonymous]

I'm guessing the dc clinic on saturday will be less insane - with an eight hour window and multiple locations, not everyone will show up at once.

[Anonymous]

Wondering if the risk of being exposed to H1N1 at a high school clinic outweigh the advantages of getting it a week before my pediatrician's office?

[Anonymous]

Are you sure your ped will have it in a week?

[Anonymous]

I waited 3 hours last Wednesday at the Silver Spring clinic. I didn't get there until 11am. I wish I had gotten there at 8am, an hour before it opened. People who said that arrived at 9am had to wait 2 hours. So if you get there at 8am, you will probably get it by 10am. I think a wait less than 2 hours is very good. Since it's a 2-shot series, I would want my kid to get it ASAP if I were you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I waited 3 hours last Wednesday at the Silver Spring clinic. I didn't get there until 11am. I wish I had gotten there at 8am, an hour before it opened. People who said that arrived at 9am had to wait 2 hours. So if you get there at 8am, you will probably get it by 10am. I think a wait less than 2 hours is very good. Since it's a 2-shot series, I would want my kid to get it ASAP if I were you.

Was there a sign-in sheet, or did people have to physically stay in line? If there's a sign-in sheet and we can move around a bit, that's much more manageable with a toddler I think. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Not the PP, but we went to the clinic last week in MoCo and there was a line, not a sign in sheet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are you sure your ped will have it in a week?

no. my son's allergist told me they would have it last week so we made an appointment for friday but they didn't get it. i don't think any of them know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not the PP, but we went to the clinic last week in MoCo and there was a line, not a sign in sheet.

Thanks for the info.

[Anonymous]

Fairfax County is having clinics at 10 schools next weekend: http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/flu/h1n1-vaccine-distribution.htm

[Anonymous]

would you keep your kid out of school to get the vaccine this week? we were on vacation last week and DD missed several days of preschool (which she's still adapting to). i'm going back and forth about keeping her out this wednesday so we can wait in line at the rockville clinic. blech.

[Anonymous]

Does anyone know if there are age limits at the DC clinics? It just says "youths" so I'm wondering if they give shots to the toddler set too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Fairfax County is having clinics at 10 schools next weekend: http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/flu/h1n1-vaccine-distribution.htm

Thanks for posting this link. There's a little more information there than there was last week -- like the times it'll be open.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:would you keep your kid out of school to get the vaccine this week? we were on vacation last week and DD missed several days of preschool (which she's still adapting to). i'm going back and forth about keeping her out this wednesday so we can wait in line at the rockville clinic. blech.

It's a judgment call. Personally my experience with all flu vaccines for kids is, if you want it, get it as soon as it is available, even if not convenient. A) the earlier you get the vaccine, the sooner you get the benefit of it B) places run out.