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37 °F Forecast | Road Cams Tuesday, January 20, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend December 9, 2003 Terry and Ginger Miller of Sams Valley get a head start on their paperwork while waiting in line for what few flu shots remained Monday in Medford. Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell FLU-SHOT FRENZY Hundreds of people, young and old, line up for flu shots, fearing a short vaccine supply and predictions of a serious flu season By BILL KETTLER Mail Tribune From the long line in front of Providence Senior Services Monday, you’d have thought they were serving free beer. Seniors and 20-somethings waited patiently with teens and 10-year-olds outside one of the only places in Southern Oregon that still has a supply of the flu vaccine. Like millions of people across the United States, they had decided this was the year they had better get a flu shot. "We got here a half hour early and thought we’d be first in line," said Pat Black of Medford. "Wrong! Everybody must have had the same thought." Many had heard or read about the flu-related deaths of at least six children in Colorado and troubling predictions of a bad flu season. "Everybody’s scared because of all those kids dying," said Michele Whelchel of Medford, who brought her children, Grant and Allison, to get immunized. Advertisement "It sounds like it’s going to be more serious this year," said Doyle Powell, who came from Phoenix with his wife, Judy, and their young grandson, Evan Kremer. "We do (Evan’s) day care and we didn’t want to take any chances." Some people arrived as early as 10 a.m. even though the clinic was not scheduled to open until 1 p.m. The line got so long that the folks inside 769 Spring St. decided to open 20 minutes early. By the time the last arms were poked at around 3 p.m., nurses had administered 299 flu shots. "It all went very smoothly," said Lori Braughton, who supervises the flu immunization program for Providence Senior Services, a division of Providence Medford Medical Center. Heightened demand for vaccine in December has made it scarce this year, according to officials at the federal Centers for Disease Control. That came as no surprise to many people standing in line, including two Medford sisters who had called around searching for vaccine for their sons. "Everybody’s out — even in Grants Pass," said Patty Harlen of Medford. She and her twin, Cathy Pond, had been immunized at Rogue Valley Medical Center, where they work, but they brought their sons to the Providence clinic when they couldn’t find vaccine anywhere else. Pond voiced a concern expressed by many — whether the vaccine will have any effect on a flu strain called A/Fujian that has been striking many people this year. When the vaccine was manufactured last spring, scientists prepared it with antigens of three strains of flu that they expected to arrive — A/Moscow, A/New Caledonia and B/Hong Kong. Braughton said the vaccine will probably offer some degree of protection to nearly everyone, but the amount will vary. "Some protection is better than none," she said. "It also decreases the odds that you’ll catch anything." On the Web: www.cdc.gov/ Reach reporter Bill Kettler at 776-4492, or e-mail [email protected] Get ’em while they last Providence Senior Services, 769 Spring St., Medford, will continue to offer flu shots until its stock of vaccine is exhausted. The clinic is open from 1 to 2 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays. The clinic had fewer than 500 doses in stock at the end of the day Monday. Flu shots are available for anyone older than 9. There will be a $20 fee for most non-Medicare health insurance. For more information, call 732-5466. Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE! ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S RESOURCES Oregon Road Conditions & Cams SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Food for Thought Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Prime Times