Parents Wait Hours for Vaccine
Tarrant County parents rush to get kids the H1N1 vaccine.
By KIM FISCHER
Updated 5:15 PM CDT, Fri, Oct 30, 2009
Hundreds of parents lined up outside of Thomas Coliseum in Haltom City early Friday morning for Tarrant County's first H1N1 vaccine clinic. The doors opened at 9 a.m., but many of these people showed up hours earlier.
This was the first time Tarrant County was able to administer the vaccine to the general public. There were 3,100 vaccines available, half were injectables, the other half were nasal sprays. The clinic was only for expectant mothers and high risk children, many who could not use the nasal spray because it contained a live virus that might pose a risk.
So these parents say they knew they had to act quickly.
Dwayne Garcia was in line at 5 a.m. with his son Eric, who has Type 1 Diabetes. Dwayne feared not everyone who showed up would get a shot.
"I wish we could get more vaccines for everybody in Tarrant County but that's why we're out here to make sure he gets his," Garcia said.
Some people who came to the clinic were turned away because they did not meet the criteria for those at high risk of contracting the H1N1 flu.
Health officials said if they didn't administer all the vaccines Friday, they would be saved for another clinic.
First Published: Oct 30, 2009 10:57 AM CDT
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