Kansas governor encourages people to get H1N1 vaccine in TV ad campaign

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Get vaccinated against H1N1.

That’s the message in a new television public service announcement released Monday by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Ad Council.

CLINICS AVAILABLE

The Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department has these H1N1 clinics scheduled for anyone county resident who wants a vaccination:

• Today, Dec. 15 — 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., Lecompton United Methodist Church, 302 Elmore, Lecompton.

• Today, Dec. 15 — 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Community Health Facility, 200 Maine.

• Wednesday, Dec. 16 — 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Community Health Facility.

As part of the federal vaccination program, the H1N1 immunization will be available to the public at no charge.

Kansas Gov. Mark Parkinson is featured with Jim Henson Company’s “Sid the Science Kid.” Fourteen other governors lent their voices to the campaign as well.

“People need to continue to take this extremely seriously,” Parkinson said. “This particular strain of the flu affects children more so than older adults, so we want to do everything we can to encourage parents to have their children vaccinated.”

According to U.S. Surgeon General Regina Benjamin, about 47 million Americans have been infected, 200,000 hospitalized and 10,000 have died.

Parkinson said Kansas’ supply is outpacing demand.

“In some cases, we have supply that is actually not being used,” he said.

According to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, the state has received at least 700,000 doses of H1N1 vaccine and at least 300,000 people have received the vaccine. In Douglas County, at least 15,600 people have been vaccinated.

The incidence of H1N1 has tapered off nationally and statewide, but Dr. Anne Schuchat, rear admiral for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, says that’s likely temporary, especially with the upcoming holidays.

“We are concerned that this may be the lull before the next storm — that we may have additional increases of disease, and this is a particularly important window of opportunity for more people to be vaccinated,” Schuchat said.

To see the new announcements, visit Flu.gov online.