Published: October 11, 2008 09:05 pm      

Flu clinic a success

Health officials ready in case of mass emergency

SUMMIT — The question was whether local health officials could handle large numbers of inoculations in an emergency, and by 9:15 Saturday morning, it was clear the answer was a resounding “Yes.”

By that time, the Ashland-Boyd County Health Department’s first-ever free drive-through flu shot clinic had administered around 500 shots in its first hour -- twice as many in that time span as planners had estimated.

“We thought we could do 250 an hour,” said health department spokeswoman Kristy Bolen. “I’m amazed, honestly.”

The clinic was an exercise to find out how many injections it could administer in a set amount of time, said public health director Maria Hardy. They need the information to be able to deal with a pandemic or another emergency, she said. “This gives us data we’ve never had before to create a plan.”

The clinic was set up on the parking lot at Boyd County Middle School. A team of about 45 health department workers — virtually the entire staff — rolled in at 6:30 a.m. and set up four inoculation stations under white canopies. Safety-vested workers directed cars onto the lot and guided them into four lanes divided by ropes.

Those in oversized vehicles or with patients who couldn’t be reached through the window were directed to a separate area.

The lines were long but the wait was short, typically between five and 10 minutes, Bolen said.

“When you’re used to giving shots to kids, you can do it pretty fast,” said nurse Cathy Anderson. A car that approached her station stopped, paused for a couple of brief questions and the inoculation, and was moving on its way in less than 30 seconds.

The drive-through format adds a safety factor: isolation. Because patients don’t mingle there is less chance of swapping germs, Hardy said.

The department received 700 doses through a federal grant, and used them all by around 10:30 a.m. The clinic was scheduled to start at 8:30 but Bolen said patients were waiting when workers arrived so they started 15 minutes early.

The setup is similar to that used for hurricane relief to distribute food and water, Bolen said. “We could use it for a plethora of emergencies.”

MIKE JAMES can be reached at mjames@dailyindependent.com or at (606) 326-2652.