Cole Manley ’11 & Ross Gordon ’11
News Editors

On Nov. 4, the Westport/Weston Health Care Center held an open clinic with nasal and injectable H1N1 vaccines.

Pregnant women, children aged six months to 18 years, anyone living or caring for an infant and healthcare personnel were allowed to receive vaccines.

“We had 400 injectables and probably 200 nasal sprays,” Mark Cooper, the director of the Westport/Weston Health District, said. “It [the supply] depends on the state.”

However, many people had to withstand three hour long lines to receive their respective vaccines.

Kim Dewitt, a mother of three, cited that “the pediatricians could have had more of a supply” of vaccines to speed up the process.

There were four categories to determine whether one received a nasal vaccine or injection.

Those six-23 months old and those two-18 years old with a high-risk medical condition were required to receive the injection, whereas those two-18 years old without a high-risk medical condition could choose the nasal spray or injection.

“The nasal spray may be more preventive, as you begin to build up antibodies faster,” Cooper said.

This was the sixth clinic that was held, but the least successful. According to Cooper, none of the clinics have been as bad as the Nov. 4 clinic.

“We will not schedule another clinic until we have the vaccine in hand,” he said, adding, “eventually we will have enough vaccine for everyone.”

Until then, Swine Flu ’09 vaccines are limited to those with the greatest need.