I recently took my three- and six-year-old girls to get their H1N1 booster shots. I have to say that I was impressed with my local public health’s response. Both clinics I attended were well-organized, professional, and efficient. There was no waiting in line, thanks to pre-registration, no human traffic jams in the roped off corrals, and plenty of band-aids, stickers, and coloring sheets for the kids.
In fact, the first clinic was the highlight of my three-year old’s week when she and her best bud got to ride in a golf cart from the parking lot to the front doors of the clinic. Standing up holding on to the back of the front seat, wind in their hair without doors or seat-belts – they were ECSTATIC!
I am thankful for these health professionals who administered the shots. I was appreciative of their extensive preparations and recognized their mobilization efforts before and during the clinics. But more than that, I’m glad – so, so glad that H1N1 was not the deadly pandemic it could have been. And now, with such widespread vaccination resulting in immunity, it has an even lesser chance of ever becoming such. I chalk that up as yet another success for public health and their commitment to safety.
If you haven’t gotten your child’s second shot or have waited to get the H1N1 vaccine for yourself, now is the time. We all need to get vaccinated to make sure we keep H1N1 at bay. For all the Colorado moms, you can find the nearest flu clinic here.
So have you vaccinated your child against H1N1? Have you made the time to get the second shot? I’d love to hear from you!