Mayo Clinic press release:
Mayo Clinic today announced it has a limited supply of seasonal flu vaccine available for Mayo primary care patients. Mayo is accepting appointments for all children ages 6 months to 35 months old, and for healthy children and adults, ages 3 to 49 years old, who are not pregnant. For all other patients, we anticipate additional shipments of seasonal flu vaccine later this month.
Patients may call their Mayo primary care provider to schedule an appointment. Children age 8 and under who are receiving seasonal flu vaccine for the first time this year need two doses of vaccine separated by at least four weeks. Caregivers may schedule appointments for the second dose for all children, 6 months to 35 months old; or for any healthy child 3 to 8 years old.
The Target Clinic at the southside Target superstore in Rochester has received a batch of seasonal flu vaccine. About 150 doses are available for healthy individuals ages 2 to 49. Also, a “very limited” number of doses for children ages 18 to 35 months is available — of seasonal flu vaccine only.
Want to check availability before you go? Call 206-5020, extension 6.
Four more Minnesotans have died from influenza, three from the H1N1 virus, officials from the Minnesota Health Department said today, according to an Associated Press report.
Since the H1N1 flu was first identified in the state, 15 people have died from it, the department said.
– Residents of Fillmore, Winona counties among latest H1N1 deaths
Olmsted Medical Center will offer a limited number of pediatric vaccinations against pandemic H1N1 influenza to current patients — by appointment only.
OMC patients who qualify for the injectable vaccine include:
• Healthy children ages six months through four years.
• Children ages five through 18 years with chronic health conditions including asthma or wheezing episodes, diabetes, cancer, autoimmune disorders, and heart problems.
Time:
• 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. Nov. 10.
• 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. Nov. 11.
Location:
Southeast Rochester clinic, 210 Ninth St. S.E.
Call:
288-3443 to schedule an appointment
Already sick?
Call the Minnesota flu hotline: 1-866-259-4655.
For general information about H1N1 and seasonal influenza:
Call Olmsted County Public Health’s community influenza information line at (507) 328-7500.
For online information about pandemic H1N1 go to http://www.flu.gov/
Olmsted Medical Center is scheduling a limited number of H1N1 vaccination appointments for current OMC patients who are pregnant. A limited quantity of injected H1N1 vaccine is available, by appointment only. Call (507) 288-3443 to schedule an appointment.
For more information, see Post-Bulletin health reporter Jeff Hansel’s Pulse on Health blog.
Olmsted Medical to offer N1N1 vaccinations to pregnant patients
Associated Press
ST. PAUL — Minnesota health officials say two more H1N1 flu deaths are confirmed in the state.
The latest victims are an adult from south-central Minnesota with no underlying health conditions and an adolescent from the Twin Cities who did have underlying health conditions. The deaths were reported last week.
That brings the number of swine-flu related deaths in Minnesota to 12 since the H1N1 virus was first identified in the state.
The Health Department says 288 schools around Minnesota reported outbreaks of influenza-like illness last week. That’s up from 230 schools reporting outbreaks the previous week.
Mayo Clinic will operate H1N1 vaccination clinics by appointment only, including both the injectable and inhaled vaccine.
Beginning 7 a.m. Wednesday, people may call to schedule appointments. The phone number is (507) 266-0011. Note that appointment scheduling begins at that time, not the clinic itself.
The following people qualify:
• Pregnant women
• Children 6 months through 4 years old
• Children 5 years through 18 years old who have chronic medical conditions, such as chronic heart, lung, kidney or liver disease; diabetes; HIV; weakened immune systems due to cancer or medications, such as steroids; or neuromuscular disorders, such as muscular dystrophy that increase the risk of aspiration.
Fillmore County will operate a H1N1 vaccination clinic for pregnant women, caregivers of infants under 6 months, children 6 months to 4 years old and children ages 5 to 18 with underlying health conditions. If you are not in those categories, you will be turned away. Time/date: 4 to 7 p.m., Nov. 4, Fillmore County Office Building, Room 108, 902 Houston St. N.W., Preston.
– For more information
Mayo Clinic’s push to change how the government pays for health care scored a major victory today on Capitol Hill. The final version of the House health reform bill that will head to the floor for a vote will include language that would change how providers are paid — with a goal of rewarding quality instead of quantity. Calling it “an incredibly proud day,” 1st District Rep. Tim Walz said this is the kind of health care reform that is needed.
The death toll from the swine flu virus in Minnesota reached 10 today as the Health Department reported three more victims, including two children under 7 years old. All three had underlying health conditions. One was a child from Steele County, the second a child from Freeborn County and the third a Martin County woman in her early 60s. The state Health Department said all three died within the last two weeks, but did not release any additional details about them.
3 more H1N1 flu deaths in Minnesota
