Thousands receive swine flu shots in Oakland, Wayne

Santiago Esparza / The Detroit News

Hamtramck -- Thousands seeking the first wave of southeast Michigan's public doses of the H1N1, or swine flu, vaccine flooded clinic sites in Oakland and Wayne counties Saturday.

At least 5,000 people were calmly waiting in line at two Oakland County sites offering the shots when doors opened, county spokesman Bill Mullan said. Lines moved quickly because county health employees had practiced for several years for instances such as this one, Mullan said.

"Today, it went as smoothly and efficiently as possible for the thousands of people we served at each location," he said. "They did a fantastic job."

Mullan did not know exactly how many people received shots. He said any leftover vaccinations would be refrigerated until the county has enough to stage another clinic.

The Oakland clinics were held for high-risk children and adults at Oakland Community College's Orchard Ridge campus in Farmington Hills and the Clarkston Junior High School gymnasium in Clarkston.

There were about 1,000 people in line at the Farmington Hills location Saturday afternoon, Mullan said. In Clarkston, lines were much smaller.

"There is no line out of the door in Clarkston," Mullan said.

Wayne County health officials had 2,500 doses available for those who came to Hamtramck High School for shots Saturday. The Wayne County Health Department held a walk-in clinic there. There were at least 500 people waiting in bleachers or lines. Shots were administered in the school's gym.

"We are taking care of our two grandchildren, and they are both under 6 months," said 66-year-old Darlene Vavin of Allen Park as she waited at the school. "We don't want to get them sick."

The Centers for Disease Control recommended certain target groups get the shot first, including pregnant women, children 6 months to 24 years old, and adults 25 to 64 with chronic health conditions or compromised immune systems.

John McLellan of Grosse Pointe Woods held his 8-year-old daughter, Julia, as she received her shot at the Wayne County clinic. Julia did not cry or show outward signs of discomfort from the shot. The family has a friend who contracted H1N1 and was in extreme pain. Julia's twin brother, Cameron, also received a shot.

"There was no way I was going to let my kids go through that," mother Jan Ryndress-McLellan said of her children suffering from swine flu like their family friend did. "I think a lot of people are not going to do it (get their children vaccinated), because they don't take it serious enough."

Kelly Salwa-Hall of Dearborn Heights said it was important that her 8-year-old son, Trevor, and she get shots as they were tended to by Wayne County health staffers Saturday at the school.

"I have asthma and he has allergies," she said after receiving a shot. "That is my biggest fear, getting it that way."

The Detroit Department of Health & Wellness Promotion immunized residents in target groups at the Pathways Center in the Herman Keifer Health Complex.

City health officials initially wanted to immunize everyone who showed up, but a national shortage in shots limited who was served on Saturday to pregnant women, children 6 months to 5 years, caregivers of infants younger than 6 months old and health care workers who come into direct contact with patients. The Detroit site had 2,500 doses to start the day.

"We have a good group of people who have been willing to let the kids go first," health department spokesman Michael McElrath said as hundreds of people sat in chairs or stood in the complex off the Lodge Freeway.

About 250 people received shots in Detroit by 3 p.m., and another 50 were waiting for their shots, McElrath said.

Some of the doses were delivered via syringes, others nasally. Two young girls breathed a sigh of relief when they were told they would get the vaccination without a needle.

Timothy Cammon was not as lucky. The perky Detroit child, whose second birthday is next week, received a shot in one of his thighs, letting loose tears right afterward.

But a few minutes later, he was happy and smiling again as he played with his mother, Danita Cammon, 36, of Detroit.

"I am just making sure he is safe," she said. "I am covering all the bases."

Macomb County's clinics will start next week. The Macomb County Health Department, however, canceled plans for its school-based vaccination clinics that were to begin the week of Nov. 2 because of shot shortages. The county is evaluating whether it can begin those clinics in December.

sesparza@detnews.com (313) 222-2320