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County Health Dept., 2 Local Hospitals Offer Free H1N1 Flu Shots to Pregnant Women

The Saint Louis County Department of Health, in conjunction with St. John’s Mercy Children’s Hospital and SSM DePaul Health Center, will be offering free H1N1 flu vaccinations for pregnant residents of Saint Louis County on Saturday, Oct. 31^st.  There will be events at two locations that day, both running from  7 a.m. to 1 p.m.

“Pregnant women are one of the groups identified by the CDC as being at particular risk from the new H1N1 virus and we want to make sure that they are among the first in the community to be offered the vaccine,” said Dr. Dolores J. Gunn, Ddrector of the Saint Louis County Department of Health.

The two Oct. 31^st vaccination clinics for pregnant women will be at the following locations

St. John’s Mercy:                                                                                         SSM DePaul Health Center:

David C. Pratt Cancer Center                                                      May Center

607 South New Ballas Road                                                           12303 DePaul Drive

Creve Coeur                                                             Bridgeton

Quantities of the H1N1 vaccine are limited, so participants will need to preregister in order to participate.  Pre-registration can be completed online or by phone.  The events are limited to residents of Saint Louis County.

To preregister for the event at SSM DePaul Health Center, registrants will need to call 1-866-SSM-DOCS (776-3627) or visit www.SSMHealth.com on the web.

To preregister for the event at St. John’s Mercy, registrants will need to call 1-866-891-6685 or visit www.StJohnsMercy.org/H1N1 on the web.

The Oct. 31 vaccination clinics are part of the county health department’s efforts to channel the H1N1 vaccine to the CDC-identified priority groups first. The department has also been working with OB/GYNs, pediatricians, and both public and private schools in Saint Louis County to ensure that the new vaccine reaches those in priority groups:

•pregnant woman;

•children and young adults six (6) months old through 24 years of age;

• caregivers for infants under the age of six (6) months; and

•adults aged 25 through 64 with medical conditions that put them at risk for influenza-related complications.

The health department emphasizes that eventually everyone will have an opportunity to be vaccinated.

“Despite our initial focus on the most vulnerable groups, it is important to remember that everyone who wants a vaccination will eventually be able to get one,” Gunn said.  “It is not a question of ‘if’, but ‘when.’  There will be enough vaccine for everybody that wants it.”

For more information about the flu – both the seasonal flu and the new H1N1 flu – please visit the Saint Louis County Department of Health’s website or the CDC’s H1N1website:www.SaintLouisCountyFlu.com  and  www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu

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