Sutter Creek - The Amador County Public Health Clinic announced Monday that it will hold a special clinic this coming Wednesday, November 4 for children age 6 months through sixth grade to receive the H1N1, or “swine flu” vaccine. The county received its second limited shipment of H1N1 vaccine last week and is prioritizing doses for those who are determined to be in high-risk groups. Those who will be offered the vaccine first include individual’s age 6 months to 24 years, pregnant women, individuals who live with or provide care for infants younger than 6 months, health care personnel and individuals age 25 – 65 who have medical conditions that put them at higher risk for flu related complications. Amador County Public Health Director Angel LeSage said they have yet to schedule any public clinics because the vaccine is arriving “in waves” and is first being distributed among health care providers. “It has to do with production and what is available,” she said. In a release last week, Public Health officials said they are “not recommending school dismissal with the presence of H1N1 and/or seasonal flu among our students or staff” but are recommending treating “both types of flu cautiously.” A number of cases have been reported and confirmed in Amador County. “H1N1 is in our community, but we haven’t had any deaths,” said LeSage. She encouraged citizens to contact their health care provider to see if they have yet to offer the vaccine. Two weeks ago, President Barack Obama declared H1N1 a national emergency, a move intended to give health care facilities more flexibility in dealing with an expected surge of infected patients. The White House said this declaration also helps the health secretary cut red tape that complicates treatment of patients on Medicare and Medicaid. Until larger quantities of vaccine become available, health officials are promoting more traditional methods of prevention. “The best prevention for both H1N1 and seasonal flu remains vaccination, washing your hands frequently, covering your cough and your sneeze and staying home if you are sick,” said Dr. Bob Hartmann, Amador County Health Officer. For the latest flu information visit the public health website or call 223-6407. Wednesday’s free clinic will be held at Public Health, located at 10877 Conductor Blvd, between 2:30 and 5:30 pm. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.