STARPOINT: Residents ready for flu shots

Attitudes have changed the last few month over willingness to get H1N1 vaccine

By Bill Wolcott<br><a href="mailto:wolcottb@gnnewspaper.com">E-mail Bill</a>

PENDLETON — Apprehension dissipated of the last month and the first school-based Point of Dispersion of H1N1 vaccine went smoothly at Startpoint High School on Saturday.

More than 1,000 residents received shots or the nasal spray between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m.

“We are not seeing a hesitation we might have had a month or two ago,” said Daniel J. Stapleton, public health director of the Niagara County. “People aren’t having reactions to it. It’s the same vaccine as the seasonal flu, the difference is the strain.”

Precautions and triple checks took place along the procedure, but Stapleton estimated the average wait time was less than 25 minutes. The first 1,000 people were scheduled in the morning and about 800 were vaccinated. Others came between 3 and 8 p.m.

Starpoint Superintendent C. Douglas Whelan was the first to step up during a superintendents meeting Sept. 11. Newfane is tentatively scheduled for Dec. 11 and Lockport High School is scheduled for Jan. 29 and 30. Royalton-Hartland, Barker and Niagara-Wheatfield are also ready to be PODs.

“This is a wonderful partnership between public health and a school,” Stapleton said. “This is exactly the type of relationship we need to be able to do these types of things.”

Stapleton has asked for 90,000 and has received 9,000. There are enough vaccines on hand to accommodate Newfane and Roy-Hart.

“There was a lot of apprehension about it, but now with heightened awareness about it, people are really concerned and I hope will take advantage of the clinic,” Whelan said. “It’s such an important thing to our community, to be able to open our schools and offer this service to community. It’s a free clinic. There are people that may not have medical insurance and not have the ability to pay for shots.”

Starpoint has had five confirmed H1N1 instances.

Dylan Craft, 13, got two shots, the swine flu and the seasonal flu shots. “I didn’t feel anything, but when I got the second one it pinched a little bit,” the seventh grader said. “I really didn’t want to get the shot, but I did because my parents didn’t want me go get sick.”

Dylan opted for the needle in the arm rather that the nasal spray in the nose. “I don’t like anything going in my nose,” he said.

Mom and Dad were at Dylan’s side.

“We don’t want them getting sick,” said Kevin Craft, who had no misgivings about the vaccine. “We heard about kids getting sick and dying. We’ve seen this as a good opportunity to give them the shot. I was hoping we could get the shot too.”

“It’s a risk that’s worth taking, a small risk,” Tracy Craft said.

Joel Maerten of the Wendleville Fire Co. was on EMS standby. His children, Wyatt, 9, and Evelyn, 6 got the shots. “It pretty much felt like nothing,” Wyatt said.

Evelyn was frightened. “I only got the little needle, but it hurted. a lot,” she said. The children were reward with Gold Fish and other healthy snacks.

Shawnee Fire Co. took the 3 to 9 p.m. shift.

Residents of Starpoint who fell into a certain criteria were eligible to get shots. That is pregnant women, caregivers and children 6 months to 24 years of age.

All health department staff and first responders that wanted the vaccine were in a priority group. Stapleton was eligible, but wanted all the school children accommodated first.

Dr. Maria Crea, with other doctors, served as a medial screener for the Medical Reserve Corps. There was a triple check along the way and the doctors made certain the clients did not have a chronic disease or allergies.

“The ones who came through today did not (have misgivings),” said Crea who worked a double shift. “They were very good and had no questions about having the shot. They wanted the shot. We had a lot of people go through today.”

“Dr. Crea knows Niagara County better than any physician I’ve ever seen,” Stapleton said. “She’s been around forever and she’s done everything.”

The nasal vaccine and needle are equally effective, Stapleton said. “They all have the same vaccine, all have the same strain, just different ways of administering it.”

Vaccines can be harmful, “I have had swine flu shot in the past,” said Mike Seibel of Niagara County Emergency Services. “I was sick for three weeks. Years after, I was supposed to go to India and got a yellow fever shot. I was sick for four weeks after that. I’m keeping things out of my veins that don’t belong there.”

There were several safeguards. Kathy Cavagnaro, a medical screener from Lockport, said,

“We make sure people are well today and it’s appropriate to give a vaccine to give them.”

People with an egg allergy can’t have the vaccine.

Colored stickers were applied to applications. Blue were seasonal; green, H1N1; yellow for pregnant and red for children 35 months or under.

Business tapered down in the afternoon, “Everything is going along well,” Stapleton said. “The staff is doing a great job.”

Contact reporter Bill Wolcott

at 439-9222, ext. 6246.