Free H1N1 vaccination clinics scheduled

Floyd Valley Community Health Service will be offering free public H1N1 influenza vaccination clinics from 4-6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 17 and from 3:30 -- 6 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 22 in Floyd Valley Hospital's Conference Center.

These clinics are open to anyone that is in one of the following priority groups only:

* Pregnant women

* People who live with or care for infants younger than 6 month of age

* Health care and emergency medical personnel

* Anyone from 6 months through 24 years of age

* Anyone from 25 through 64 years of age with certain chronic medical conditions or a weakened immune system. This would include people who have:

* Asthma

* Neurological and neurodevelopmental conditions [including disorders of the brain, spinal cord, peripheral nerve, and muscle such as cerebral palsy, epilepsy (seizure disorders), stroke, intellectual disability (mental retardation), moderate to severe developmental delay, muscular dystrophy, or spinal cord injury].

* Chronic lung disease (such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cystic fibrosis)

* Heart disease (such as congenital heart disease, congestive heart failure and coronary artery disease)

* Blood disorders (such as sickle cell disease)

* Endocrine disorders (such as diabetes mellitus)

* Kidney disorders

* Liver disorders

* Metabolic disorders (such as inherited metabolic disorders and mitochondrial disorders)

* Weakened immune system due to disease or medication (such as people with HIV or AIDS, or cancer, or those on chronic steroids)

* People younger than 19 years of age who are receiving long-term aspirin therapy

Only the injectable form of the vaccine will be available at these clinics.