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Swine flu shots

Qualified individuals can now receive a swine flu shot form the Boca Grande Health Clinic while supplies last. Here's how:

Call: (941) 964-2276

Schedule: vaccination appointment

When: Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Fast fact: The H1N1 vaccine is being provided as a public service free to the recipient.

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The Boca Grande Health Clinic has received 100 doses of H1N1 vaccine to treat swine flu.

It's not enough but it's a start, said CEO John Sielert of the Boca Grande Health Clinic. As the primary health care center serving the island community, The Boca Grande Health Clinic pushed hard to receive an adequate supply of the vaccine, said Sielert, and he'll keep pushing for more.

"If every one of the kids on the island needed it, it would be 97 kids," Sielert said. "Chances are Charlotte County is going to come to the island and start providing it. It's too late for the vaccine to do any good once you're sick."

So far, so good as far as serious illnesses goes. No one on the island has become desperately ill - yet - although many have probably already contracted the illnesss, Sielert said

"Most people suggest the flu going around now, chances are it's the swine flu." Sielert said. "For most people it's not a problem. For those in the high-risk categories, it could be a problem."

The clinic will give the vaccine to the Centers for Disease Control's high-risk groups first, including pregnant women, people who live with infants younger than six months, health care and emergency medical personnel, anyone from six months through 24 years of age and anyone from 25 through 64 years of age with chronic medical conditions or a weakened immune system.

If the Clinic does receive more vaccine the following groups will be eligible to receive it: healthy individuals ages 25 through 64 and adults 65 and older.

The swine flu shot is free. The clinic also has seasonal flu vaccine for $35.

Sielert said he expects the swine flu outbreak to worsen as flu season wears on.

"It's pretty prevalent across the country," he said. "Chance are we could see more of it."

Some say the media made swine flu out to be worse than it truly is. Sielert isn't one of them.

"The medical leadership in our country has decided this is a serious enough threat that they've kicked out all the stops to get this vaccine out there because it could be a pandemic, which would be catastrophic," Sielert said. "The swine flu really was discovered in the the spring of 2009. It's been a very short period of time. The serious nature of it has caused us to get to to where we are."

The nonprofit clinic is supported by contributions made through the Boca Grande Clinic Foundation.

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