The wait is finally over for healthy adults aged 25-64: you too will now be able to receive an H1N1 vaccine in the District of Columbia, regardless of whether you have a preexisting condition. The D.C. Department of Health announced today that this final expansion of eligibility goes into effect on Monday, December 13.
D.C. Expands H1N1 Vaccines to All Adults
Drug-Resistant Swine Flu Now in Virginia & Maryland
Just when we had all been hearing that the swine flu had peaked, the Post reports today that Maryland and Virginia are both starting to report drug-resistant cases of H1N1. Two Virginia residents have been treated for Tamiflu-resistant swine flu, as have two patients at Johns Hopkins University Hospital in Baltimore. And buried at the bottom of this story: D.C. has now confirmed its very first swine flu-related death. "The patient was an adult male with a preexisting condition, Health Department spokeswoman Dena Iverson said."
Too Much H1N1 Vaccine? Or Too Many H1N1 Vaccine Clinics?
WUSA9 has it that parents and kids waited hours to get the H1N1 vaccine in Cheverly, MD. Yet the Washington Business Journal reports that 55% of Washington-area adults don't plan to inoculate, nothing that a full "one-third of parents with children living at home do not plan on getting the vaccine this year."
D.C. Cutting Back its H1N1 Vaccine Clinics
The D.C. Department of Health announced Thursday that it is reducing the hours and frequency of its free H1N1 vaccine clinics in order to be able to send more doses to doctor's offices and community health centers. DOH says that over 11,000 people have been served in D.C.'s clinics in the past two weeks.
My H1N1 Vaccine Experience
Unless you've got little kids or are under 24 (and apparently the young people care not for this vaccine, if the Post is to be believed), you probably haven't even tried to go get an H1N1 vaccine yet. The District government only late last week opened up its free vaccine clinics to adults over age 24, and for the time being, that only includes adults with underlying health conditions such as asthma or diabetes, or those who are currently or will soon be caregivers of children under 6 months.
The Big Flu Shot Post
Flu season might not have a theme song, but it's got a mascot and league officials and rally towels. And flu season is upon us. This year, it's just as confusing as the BCS to boot. There are now two shots (or sprays) to consider -- one for seasonal influenza and one for the dreaded H1N1 bug -- and you'll need to consult the strength-of-schedule rankings for your Ward to determine whether you're eligible to receive an H1N1 vaccination. What does that even mean? It means you need to ask yourself:

