H1N1 Clinic Draws a Crowd

Long lines wind through the halls inside the Mahopac Middle School last Saturday for the county’s HINI clinic. ERIC GROSS Hundreds lined up last Saturday at the Mahopac Middle School hours before the doors opened for the county’s free H1N1 vaccination clinic, which attracted nearly 2,000 people.

Putnam Public Health Nurse Kathy Percacciolo described the scene as “extremely orderly. The weather wasn’t the best, yet people came prepared for the inclement weather.”

The swine flu vaccine was available to pregnant women, those who live or provide care for infants less than six months old, health care and emergency services providers or people aged six months to 24 years as well as others, up to age 64, with chronic medical conditions.

Keiren Farquhar, coordinator of the Putnam Medical Reserve Corps, was pleased that people were taking advantage of the clinics: “We are happy because the more people who get the vaccine and get it for their children, the less chance the county will have of having a huge outbreak or an epidemic in a particular school system.”

Jay Dave of Mahopac, an employee in the Brewster School District, rolled up his shirt sleeve: “My wife is pregnant with our first child and I don’t want her to become infected with swine flu, nor do I want to come down with the bug during this special time in our lives.”

Ryan Gillis, 11, of Carmel, was at the clinic with his mom, Kim. Deputy Health Commissioner Loretta Molinari assured the young man that the injection wouldn’t hurt at all. “She was right,” said Ryan, who added: “I didn’t even feel a pinch.”