What is believed to be the first H1N1 flu clinic in Schuylkill County got underway Tuesday.
Inoculations were given at Penn State's Schuylkill campus. The shots are free and some students, faculty and staff are getting the inoculations to ward off the virus. One of those was student Kenyatta Davis of Philadelphia. "It's like any other virus basically, I think, but people are scared about it because it's something new they've never heard before." said Davis
Other students are taking the vaccine because of their school work according to Eric Calinsky. "All the course work I have after school I didn't really want to have a lot of down time by getting sick," Calinsky said.
Blair Cooper agrees. "I know somebody who got the swine flu and she had to miss a whole week. With my workload and this is such an important semester for me I can't afford to miss a whole week of school," said Cooper.
Doctor Leslie Dubowitz said H1N1, or swine flu, can be deadly when medical complications, such as pneumonia sets in. "How do you know if you are the one that's going to be struck by the complications. I'd rather get the vaccine than fall over dead," Dr. Dubowitz said.
The virus in the vaccine is dead, something some Dr. Dubowitz said is safer than an injection with the live virus. "(You) want to build up antibodies and fight off the disease by getting the dead virus. When you get live virus vaccine there is always the chance, normally you get mild symptoms, there is always the chance that you would get more severe symptoms," Dr. Dubowitz explained.
Penn State was able to get 1,200 doses of the vaccine, something that surprises the university's nurse, Cece Boran. "A lot of the Penn State campuses have not gotten the vaccine and they wanted to know who I knew in the CDC and the department of health to get ours so early. It was the luck of the draw, I guess," Boran said.
The free H1N1 flu clinic could be open to the public if there are any of the 1,200 doses left after November 13.
Inoculations were given at Penn State's Schuylkill campus. The shots are free and some students, faculty and staff are getting the inoculations to ward off the virus. One of those was student Kenyatta Davis of Philadelphia. "It's like any other virus basically, I think, but people are scared about it because it's something new they've never heard before." said Davis
Other students are taking the vaccine because of their school work according to Eric Calinsky. "All the course work I have after school I didn't really want to have a lot of down time by getting sick," Calinsky said.
Blair Cooper agrees. "I know somebody who got the swine flu and she had to miss a whole week. With my workload and this is such an important semester for me I can't afford to miss a whole week of school," said Cooper.
Doctor Leslie Dubowitz said H1N1, or swine flu, can be deadly when medical complications, such as pneumonia sets in. "How do you know if you are the one that's going to be struck by the complications. I'd rather get the vaccine than fall over dead," Dr. Dubowitz said.
The virus in the vaccine is dead, something some Dr. Dubowitz said is safer than an injection with the live virus. "(You) want to build up antibodies and fight off the disease by getting the dead virus. When you get live virus vaccine there is always the chance, normally you get mild symptoms, there is always the chance that you would get more severe symptoms," Dr. Dubowitz explained.
Penn State was able to get 1,200 doses of the vaccine, something that surprises the university's nurse, Cece Boran. "A lot of the Penn State campuses have not gotten the vaccine and they wanted to know who I knew in the CDC and the department of health to get ours so early. It was the luck of the draw, I guess," Boran said.
The free H1N1 flu clinic could be open to the public if there are any of the 1,200 doses left after November 13.
