NEWS
Low Turnout for H1N1 Vaccine
Harrisonburg, Va.
Keith Jones
The H1N1 flu vaccine was offered at James Madison University faculty, staff, students and their families Friday morning, but not many on campus took advantage of the opportunity.
Few people were coming to the Festival Conference and Student Center during the morning hours. In fact, a health official says they've administered less than 50 vaccinations in a couple of hours.
Around the Commonwealth, colleges aren't seeing that great a turnout. Intravene Travel Clinic is in charge of the vaccinations, and it visited the University of Virginia and Virginia Tech earlier this week.
Intravene nurse Mary Ruth Davis says they took about 4,000 doses to each campus and just over 2,000 were administered at each.
She says, "I think people are not coming because they think there will be long lines. That's what I think it is, and we don't have long lines right now, and the longest wait has been about 30 minutes. Even when there is a line, it's about 30 minutes."
Friday is the last day of classes before Thanksgiving break, which school officials say could attribute to the lack of turnout. Davis says about 3,500 doses are available at the clinic. The cost of the vaccine is $19.96.
By the end of the clinic Friday, officials say about 1,000 vaccines were given.
News
·
Weather
Copyright © 2009 Gray MidAmerica TV Interactive Media, LLC.
