2,500 doses of flu vaccine administered at 2nd clinic

The free flu clinic, held Friday at the Carroll County Fairgrounds, began slowly in the morning, but by afternoon, crowds swelled, and an estimated 2,200 vaccinations were dispensed, according to Sherri Plumlee, director of the county health unit. Mike Ellis / CCN

Carroll County News

BERRYVILLE -- Some 2,200 doses of flu vaccine, both H1N1 and seasonal vaccines, were dispensed last Friday at a mass clinic, hosted by the Carroll County Health Unit at the fairgrounds exhibit hall.

According to Sherri Plumlee, director of the health unit, the dispensing clinic went smoothly, with few long lines and plenty of vaccine to give out.

She said part of the reason there was little wait time was because forms were distributed in the community ahead of time and people arrived with them already filled out.

In addition, she said there were only a handful of people who arrived early for the vaccines, which meant staff did not get backed up, like they did at their previous clinic in late October.

In fact, Plumlee said she was a little concerned when only 600 doses had been administered by the noon hour, as compared to the previous clinic when they had given out twice as many by lunch time.

Fearing that people might be avoiding a long wait, Plumlee said she contacted local radio stations and asked them to relay the message that "there were no long lines and people should come -- and they did," Plumlee recalled.

In fact, from noon until the close of the clinic at 6 p.m., another 1,600 vaccines were dispensed.

Plumlee said she has some left over and anyone who wants one, either the H1N1 or seasonal flu vaccine, or both, should contact the health department at (870) 423-2923. Scheduling and staff availability will determine when those vaccines can be dispensed, she said.

Plumlee again had high praise for her volunteers, both her "tried and true" and for those new recruits who made it all possible. "They did a fabulous job," she said.