Hundreds turn out for swine flu vaccines

When 4-year-old Emily Salazar saw her brother Andrew get a nasal mist flu vaccine, she split.

She was halfway to the door before her father Franklin Salazar caught up to her.

Judging by the tears, she didn’t want any of that nonsense.

Andrew, 7, was more stoic about the mist.

“It didn’t hurt,” he said.

The Salazars and at least 600 more people showed up at the Manassas Mall on Monday to get H1N1 flu vaccines.

Stephen Brunelle, emergency planner for the Prince William Health District, said the clinic — scheduled to run between 3 and 7 p.m. — had the “capability to process” roughly 600 people. 

Brunelle said the health district advertises vaccine clinics through the Prince William County Web site and in the News & Messenger.

“We follow up on a daily basis with the Web site to determine whether we have vaccine on that particular day and when we’ll be open,” Brunelle said.

The district has held five clinics since Oct. 14 and has vaccinated between 2,500 and 3,000 people, Brunelle said. 

Health district workers had to “work out the kinks” during the first couple of clinics where they administered Live Attenuated Intranasal Vaccine, but everything is running smoothly now.

“Now, I think we’re professionals at it,” he said.

Brunelle said people should remember that the health district is not “the only game in town” anymore.

Primary care physicians are beginning to get shipments of flu vaccines and should have them within the next couple of weeks.

“We would encourage people within the community to first reach out to their private physicians. The pharmacies should be able to get it pretty soon,” Brunelle said.

Laura Alderman and Danielle Ryan took off work Monday, picked up their children early from school and took them to the mall for vaccines.

It was the first realistic chance they’ve had at getting the vaccines, Alderman said.

They got to the mall at 12:30 p.m. and were number 110 in line.

The doors to the clinic opened at 3 p.m. sharp and Alderman and Ryan were in the waiting room with their forms filled out by 3:30 p.m. 

Alderman, who lives in the Ashland subdivision near Montclair, said she wanted her children to get the vaccines at the first chance.

“The sooner we get it, the better. Heaven knows when the pediatrician will get it,” said Alderman, who came to the mall so her 9-year-old daughter Summer and 11-year-old son Trey could get the vaccines.

She said she would wait for her vaccine.

“They said they wouldn’t turn us away, but they’re asking us to save them for the kids,” Alderman said. “I’m not going to worry about it for now, let the kids get it and I’ll take when it’s available in the second round.”

Danielle Ryan brought her boys Chase, 10, and Jackson, 6, to the mall for vaccines.

Chase said he preferred the mist. Summer and Trey opted for shots.

Guadalupe Gomez brought her 4-year-old son Jeremy for the vaccines and took one herself. She preferred the mist.

“I don’t like shots,” she said.

Jeremy didn’t cry when he got the vaccine, but he wasn’t thrilled earlier on.

“He cried when he was thinking it was a shot,” Gomez said.

Connor Moore, of Dumfries, wanted a shot over the nasal mist.

“The mist kind of tickles,” the 10-year-old said.

For more information on future clinics visit pwcgov.org.

Manassas Bureau Chief keith Walker can be reached at 703-369-6751.