News - Local News

POSTED: Monday, Oct. 26, 2009

Health officials remind residents: County swine flu clinics canceled

Public health officials are reminding Whatcom County residents that previously scheduled mass vaccination clinics for the H1N1 flu, including two this week in Ferndale and Lynden, have been canceled.

The clinics at Ferndale High School on Monday, Oct. 26, and at Lynden High School on Tuesday, Oct. 27, were among those yanked earlier this month because the vaccine is arriving slower than expected.

"Don't go to Lynden High School," said Joe Bates, spokesman for the Whatcom Pandemic Joint Information Center.

The clinics were among five that were first announced in mid-October, then bumped.

But the old schedule is still floating out there on Web sites or being incorrectly repeated, as was the case on a Seattle TV news broadcast Monday, Oct. 26, about the clinic at Ferndale High. Bates said people started to show up or to call the two high schools, incorrectly believing the clinics were still a go.

Health officials replaced those five clinics with two others this week - Wednesday, Oct. 28, in Bellingham, and Thursday, Oct. 29, in Deming - for people high on the priority list to receive the vaccine. Even then, only people who were able to book an appointment for one of the 1,800 slots available at the clinics will receive the vaccine this week.

Additional clinics will be scheduled as more vaccine is shipped to the county. Find updated information about clinic schedules and H1N1 at em.whatcomcounty.org, or send an e-mail to pio@em.whatcomcounty.org.

The Bellingham Herald also will post information when it becomes available.