The Cure for the Swine-Flu Waiting Game
H1N1 vaccine finally arriving in the Bay Area
By LORI PREUITT
Updated 1:34 PM PST, Thu, Oct 22, 2009
It's what tens of thousands of people have been waiting for: the arrival of the H1N1 injectable vaccine.
The above photo was snapped Thursday morning at Summit Pedriatric in Orinda, proving it really does exist.
Now, before you grab the kids and jump on Highway 24 toward the Caldecott, note all of these doses are spoken for.
If you think that kind of desperation is far-fetched, consider this true story: A mother in Kern County refused to pull over for speeding because she was on her way to a clinic that had a small supply of the vaccine. Police chased her all the way to the doctor's office with lights and sirens blaring. That woman got her shots, as well as a costly moving violation.
Also Thursday, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger ordered the release of up to half of California's emergency stockpile of specialized masks so health care providers can protect patients and themselves from the spread of the H1N1 flu.
California's H1N1 response team said it decided to begin deployment of the masks to prevent shortages among health care workers, particularly at hospitals.
"California has been preparing for a flu crisis for a very long time and with this action we are taking another step to ensure that we are able to fight the spread of flu pandemics like H1N1," Schwarzenegger said in a prepared statement.
First Published: Oct 22, 2009 1:11 PM PST
You Might Like
You have 2000 characters left
