To the editor:

On behalf of the Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department, I want to thank both volunteers and patrons for a successful Flu-X for Priority Groups exercise Oct. 23 at Free State High School.

This exercise most importantly distributed 1,432 flu shots to those in the priority groups and also provided valuable information to the Health Department for its emergency preparedness plan. We value the input from our community volunteers and partners in our work for the citizens of Douglas County.

This mass distribution clinic could not have run as smoothly without the assistance of some great community partners. A big thank you goes to Joe Snyder, principal at Free State High School, for making the site and his staff available, as well as Paula Hatcher, FSHS school nurse who served as the clinic site manager.

Additionally, thanks to the numerous individual community volunteers, Lawrence Police Department, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Red Cross, Lawrence-Douglas County Fire & Medical, Lawrence Memorial Hospital, Advanced Home Care, Heartland Clinic, Douglas County Disaster Mental Health Team, KU Chapter of the American Pharmacists Assn.–Academy of Student Pharmacists, Douglas County Citizens Emergency Response Team, KU Black Student Union, Kansas Golf Assn., Lawrence public school nurses, Ricoh Business Systems, KU Watkins Student Health Center, Lawrence Transit Authority, Douglas County Emergency Management, Johnson County Health Department, Wyandotte County Health Department and Kansas Department of Health and Environment.

Kay Kent, director,

Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department