People are most infectious to others soon after they develop symptoms, although they continue to shed the virus (for example, in coughs and sneezes) for up to five days (seven days in children). People become less infectious as their symptoms subside, and once their symptoms are gone they are no longer considered infectious to others.
Beginning Saturday morning, free H1N1 swine flu shots for city residents will be made available on a regular basis at six city college locations for at least the next several weeks.
The announcement of the vaccination clinics heralds the arrival of steady, regular supplies of the vaccine that the federal government first began shipping out in small quantities less than two weeks ago. Though they offer the free vaccination clinics, city health officials urged people who have personal physicians to go to them for vaccination.
The early shipments of the vaccine are being made available only to persons most vulnerable to the H1N1 virus. Those include: pregnant women; all children and young adults ages 6 months to 24 years; people who live with and/or care for infants younger than 6 months of age; people age 25-64 with chronic health conditions (like asthma or diabetes), and health care workers.
But amid concerns about delays in the production of the vaccine, Julie Morita, medical director for the health department’s immunization program, declined to say how much vaccine would be available at the clinics this week.
She said patients would be served on a first-come, first-served basis until the presently available doses run out.
The Chicago Department of Public Health said that now that larger quantities of the vaccine are being delivered to hospitals and doctors’ offices around the city, people in the high-risk categories should call their family doctors to get the shot.
“The best place to get an H1N1 flu vaccination is your own family doctor or other regular medical provider,” said city Health Commissioner Terry Mason. “Now is the time for people who want a flu vaccination to contact their doctor to find out when they can get vaccinated.”
Beginning Saturday, they will be offered every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and every Tuesday and Thursday from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the following locations.
For those who don’t have a personal physician and lack the means to pay for the vaccination, free shots will administered at six locations:
PLEASE CALL BEFORE YOU GO.
Kennedy King College
6301 S. Halsted St.
Telephone: 773.602.5000
Olive Harvey College
10001 S. Woodlawn Ave.
Telephone: 773.291.6100
Richard J. Daley College
7500 S. Pulaski Rd
Telephone: 773.838.7500
Truman College
1145 W. Wilson Ave.
Telephone: 773.907.4000
Arturo Velasquez Institute
2800 S. Western Ave.
Telephone: 773.843.4500
Wright College
4300 N. Narragansett Ave.
Telephone: 773.777.7900
PLEASE CALL BEFORE YOU GO.
Those with egg allergies should not receive the vaccination, the health department said. It said with larger quantities of H1N1 vaccine being delivered in the next few weeks, vaccinations will also be available soon at area retail pharmacies.
No appointments are necessary. City health officials also urged city residents who attend area colleges and universities to check with their campus health services to see if and when they will offer H1N1 flu shots.
“This is a time for all Chicagoans to be patient and think prevention,” Morita said.
“Every week, thousands of doses of H1N1 vaccine are arriving in the city and suburbs. Assuming that vaccine production continues as anticipated, it is fair to say that every Chicagoan who wants an H1N1 vaccination will be able to get one in the weeks and months to come,” she said.
