Maryland Community Newspapers Online
When it came to getting the H1N1 flu vaccine for her two children in middle school, Kathy Teich of Germantown had a practical philosophy: "Might as well get it done."
Teich was one of hundreds who stood in line Wednesday afternoon awaiting the H1N1 nasal spray at Northwest High School in Germantown, where 1,000 doses of the vaccine were made available by the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services. Priority was given to people aged 2 to 24 years old, although the site director Mindy McCartin said no one under 49 would be refused the vaccine if they asked for it.
Officials said roughly 400 people were turned away after the dosages ran out, and the line for the vaccine snaked out of the school's parking lot and along Richter Road. The vaccines were administered beginning at about 4 p.m., and by 4:20 p.m. announcements were made that the dosages were running out, and that people in the rear portion of the line were not guaranteed to get the vaccine.
Teich was motivated by more than just her two children – she said her mother, in remission from stage four breast cancer, was visiting her soon, and she wanted to make sure her health was protected.
Patiently shuffling toward the front of the line was North Potomac resident Sean Wu with his 5-year-old daughter Amanda. Wu was concerned for his wife, who is pregnant and is due in about one month, as well as for Amanda.
"I want to get the family protected," Wu said.
McCartin said the biggest hurdle for many people was filling out consent forms correctly once they received their tickets to get the vaccine.
Told about the availability of the vaccine for people under 49, Arthur Rabeau, in line with his 6-year-old daughter at Northwest High School, responded, "This is for people's kids, so they should get the first shot."
As of Thursday morning, the county did not have any H1N1 vaccine available, according to Mary Anderson, a public information officer with county Health and Human Services. Vaccination clinics scheduled for Nov. 4, Nov. 11 and Nov. 18 at Northwest High School, Northwood High School in Silver Spring, and Rockville High School had been canceled.
The county's supply of vaccine was "coming in sporadically," Anderson said, but the county was updating its H1N1 page on the Internet frequently.
"We're pretty much updating that Web site at least every other day," Anderson said.
The county's Web site for H1N1 is http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/mcgtmpl.asp?url=/content/exec/swine_flu/index.asp.
Standing near the front of the line at about 3:45, Pam Baer of Darnestown was there to get her son Kenny vaccinated.
"Honestly, I think it's a lot of hype, but I can't take that chance," Baer said.
