H1N1 vaccination clinics ongoing this week

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CRYSTAL LAKE – Centegra Health System and the McHenry County Department of Health are continuing this week to administer H1N1 vaccines.

H1N1 vaccination clinics are scheduled from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, as well as from 9 a.m. to noon Saturdays as supplies allow at four Centegra locations: 360 Station Drive in Crystal Lake; 10350 Haligus Road in Huntley; 4309 Medical Center Drive in McHenry; and 3707 Doty Road in Woodstock.

Centegra is charging a $15 administration fee for H1N1 shots. Bills for patients with Medicare and Medicaid coverage will be sent to insurance providers, but all others must pay at the time of service

To check whether the clinics will be open, visit www.centegra.org.

The county department's appointment-only slots are filled, spokeswoman Debra Quackenbush said. But interested residents who do not have appointments are encouraged to call the department's H1N1 hotline, 815-334-2800.

"We want them to call ... in case there are available appointments due to cancellations," Quackenbush said.

The health department plans to distribute 1,000 doses of the nasal spray vaccine this week.

Two hundred doses for healthy children ages 2 to 9 will be distributed to those with appointments from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. today at the McHenry Township Office, 3703 N. Richmond Road, McHenry. Children younger than 9 will need a second dose in about four weeks.

From 5 to 9 p.m. Wednesday at Johnsburg High School, 2002 Ringwood Road, Johnsburg, 600 doses are slated for healthy adults ages 10 to 49. Again, these doses will be distributed to those with appointments only. 

An additional 200 doses will be given to healthy children ages 2 to 9 at The Salvation Army in Crystal Lake Friday afternoon. These, too, are for those with appointments only.

The health department ordered 35,000 doses of the vaccine, but has received only 4,300. A shipment of the injectable vaccine is expected, but there is no timeline on when it will be received.

Quackenbush said the nasal vaccine is appropriate only for certain healthy, younger populations, as it comprises a weakened, live virus. The injectable vaccine can be used by others, including those with chronic health issues, she said.

As of Friday, the Illinois Department of Health reported 28 deaths and 731 hospitalizations due to the H1N1 virus. Only one death in McHenry County, a 50-year-old man from Crystal Lake with underlying medical conditions, has been attributed to the H1N1 flu.

H1N1 shares some similarities with the seasonal flu, but tends to affect a younger population than the seasonal flu. The health department recommends covering coughs, washing hands, and staying home when sick to help prevent the flu's spread.


Health department info

To check for available appointments at H1N1 vaccine clinics through the McHenry County Department of Health, call 815-334-2800. For information about Centegra Health System H1N1 clinics, check www.centegra.org.

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