MONROE - Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services opened up the H1N1 vaccine to anyone.
Previously, the vaccine had only been available for high-risk groups.
The Green County Health Department is holding a free H1N1 clinic from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Monday. Additional clinics will be scheduled in January as well. These clinics are open to anyone who would like to receive the vaccine. If unable to make the scheduled clinics, people can make an appointment to get vaccinated. If the need arises, the Green County Health Department and Monroe Clinic plan to partner in hosting additional clinics.
"We'll monitor the situation and try to give people multiple options to get vaccinated. Vaccine availability is no longer an issue, and it is now available to everyone," said RoAnn Warden, Director of the Green County Health Department, in a statement.
Community Update
Although the health department has been visiting schools and daycare centers for weeks, and the health department and Monroe Clinic have held several clinics for high-risk groups, overall vaccination percentage is very low. According to the most recent data available, only 11 percent of Green County residents have been vaccinated, Warden said.
"Whether you get the vaccine at the health department, Monroe Clinic, or at outreach pharmacies, the message is clear - get vaccinated. The more people we vaccinate, the better chance we have of slowing the spread of the virus," she said.
For more information about upcoming H1N1 vaccination clinics, visit the Green County Health Department Web site, www.greencountyhealth.org, or Monroe Clinic's dedicated H1N1 Web page at www.monroeclinic.org/h1n1/. For additional questions about the vaccine call the health department at (608) 328-9390.
Previously, the vaccine had only been available for high-risk groups.
The Green County Health Department is holding a free H1N1 clinic from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Monday. Additional clinics will be scheduled in January as well. These clinics are open to anyone who would like to receive the vaccine. If unable to make the scheduled clinics, people can make an appointment to get vaccinated. If the need arises, the Green County Health Department and Monroe Clinic plan to partner in hosting additional clinics.
"We'll monitor the situation and try to give people multiple options to get vaccinated. Vaccine availability is no longer an issue, and it is now available to everyone," said RoAnn Warden, Director of the Green County Health Department, in a statement.
Community Update
Although the health department has been visiting schools and daycare centers for weeks, and the health department and Monroe Clinic have held several clinics for high-risk groups, overall vaccination percentage is very low. According to the most recent data available, only 11 percent of Green County residents have been vaccinated, Warden said.
"Whether you get the vaccine at the health department, Monroe Clinic, or at outreach pharmacies, the message is clear - get vaccinated. The more people we vaccinate, the better chance we have of slowing the spread of the virus," she said.
For more information about upcoming H1N1 vaccination clinics, visit the Green County Health Department Web site, www.greencountyhealth.org, or Monroe Clinic's dedicated H1N1 Web page at www.monroeclinic.org/h1n1/. For additional questions about the vaccine call the health department at (608) 328-9390.