People began lining up for swine-flu shots at 5 a.m. Wednesday at Manchester Center for a clinic that wouldn't start until 4 p.m. -- and hundreds were turned away after it began.
By midafternoon, more than 1,300 were waiting in a line that stretched the length of the Blackstone Avenue side of the mall. By 6 p.m., organizers were turning people away.
The clinic was supposed to be open until 7, but late Wednesday, organizers said they expected to work until 10 p.m. just to accommodate those who had shown up by 6.
More vaccine is expected, and there should be enough to go around, said David Luchini, manager of the communicable disease division for Fresno County Department of Public Health.
It was the first massive flu-shot clinic in Fresno, and health officials said they had plenty of H1N1 vaccine -- and 16 vaccinators to give shots -- but there wasn't enough time to keep up with the crowd.
More than 1,300 wait in line at Fresno's Manchester Center on Wednesday, some arriving as early as 5 a.m. for the swine-flu vaccine. Many were turned away because of time constraints.
For those who missed the clinic at Manchester, the Fresno County Department of Public Health will have a shot clinic from 2 to 4 p.m. today at the Fresno Retired Teachers Education Center, 3930 E. Saginaw Way.
Many of those waiting Wednesday had chronic health problems or had brought children to the clinic.
Lisa Pasillas, 37, of Fresno and her family got to the mall at 5 a.m. to be first in line.
"I have a heart condition and my kids are asthmatic and my mother has a heart condition and diabetes," Pasillas said.
The H1N1 shot is recommended for people from 6 months to 24 years old, pregnant women, people with chronic health conditions and for caregivers of infants younger than 6 months.
Alicia Phillips, 48, of Fresno said she wasn't concerned about a flu shot for herself, but she wanted one for her son, Cameran Phillips. Cameran, 16, has asthma and will be flying to Washington, D.C., soon. "I think if you're going to get on an airplane, you need an H1N1 shot," she said.
Phillips said she wanted to take her son to his pediatrician for a shot, but his doctor doesn't have the vaccine.
Shipments of H1N1 vaccine have been slow to arrive in the central San Joaquin Valley. The Fresno County health department got 11,500 doses last week, which allowed the county to schedule four clinics this week. Two were held Monday, in Firebaugh and Mendota.
County officials warned the public that they expected a crowd Wednesday, and people came prepared for a long wait.
From her spot at the front of the line, Pasillas said the wait for the H1N1 shot had been interesting.
"One lady wanted to give me $20 to come in front of me," she said. Pasillas declined. "No amount of money is worth your life."
A few rules are needed to help foster a feeling of community. We encourage a free and open exchange of ideas in a climate of mutual respect, but any post that violates someone's right to use and enjoy fresnobee.com is prohibited. Before you post, please read the terms of use and obey these simple guidelines.
Here are the ground rules:
Contents of this site are © Copyright The Fresno Bee. All rights reserved.
E-Mail
Print
@Nyx.CommentBody@