Where to Get Free H1N1 Vaccine in Northeast Ohio

The Cleveland Clinic is offering free H1N1 flu shots to everyone, regardless of insurance issues, when the vaccine becomes available. The Cleveland Clinic has been administering free flu shots to all of their employees for years and now they are reaching out to the community. Since I am a nurse and considered in the high risk group, I got my seasonal flu shot two weeks ago and I am planning on getting the H1N1 vaccine when it becomes available.

The Cleveland Clinic's President and CEO announced the free H1N1 vaccine, "We believe we can help reduce the impact of H1N1 by making the vaccine available to our community -- free of charge-- and to our employees who care for patients," said Delos "Toby" Cosgrove, MD. "Removing the financial barriers and focusing on preventive measures will go a long way toward protecting our community."

The Cleveland Clinic is planning "flu shot clinics" at their fifteen family health centers, nine community hospitals, and their main campus in Cleveland. There is no official word if the Cleveland Clinic will be offering the free H1N1 flu shots at their Florida hospitals as well. Once the vaccines arrive, Cleveland Clinic will provide a complete list of sites, dates and times to be posted at clevelandclinic.org/flu.

The Cleveland Clinic has requested more than 100,000 doses of the vaccine. If they vaccinate every employee in all of their hospitals and regional medical centers then that leaves over 50,000 H1N1 vaccines for the community. Hopefully, they will be able to get more vaccines because 50,000 vaccines are not enough to inoculate northeast Ohio.

The plan is to vaccinate the people in the high risk groups first. Those who at a higher risk of contracting H1N1 are healthcare workers, pregnant women, anyone in contact with children under 6 months of age since babies cannot receive the H1N1 vaccine, people ages 6 months to 24 years old, and anyone who is at a higher risk of complications from the flu.

So as not to be outdone, other Cleveland area hospitals are following suit to a smaller extent. University Hospital of Cleveland and MetroHealth Medical Center are also administering free flu shots to higher risk groups.

The CDC reports that the H1N1 vaccine should be available by mid October. According to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius the vaccine is "rolling off the production lines right now." She estimates that vaccine will start becoming available by the end of the week.

This means that pockets of the United States will start getting vaccinated against H1N1. As more vaccines become available then more people in the lower risk groups can get vaccinated also.

If you are in one of the high risk groups then go to clevelandclinic.org/flu to find out when and where you can go to get your H1N1 vaccine. The website will update as soon and The Cleveland Clinic has the vaccine available.

Sources:

http://www.cleveland.com/healthfit/index.ssf/2009/09/cleveland_clinic_plans_to_offe.html

http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/vaccination/public/vaccination_qa_pub.htm

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33207176/ns/health-swine_flu