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H1N1 clinic draws 2,500
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VACCINATION STATION: Damarcus Cospy, 14, gets the H1N1 vaccine from Donna Beistel, a registered nurse, at the Canfield High School clinic on Friday. About 1,500 students were given the vaccination, a school nurse said.
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VACCINES ADMINISTERED: Volunteers administered the H1N1 vaccine to Canfield High School students and community members Friday during a clinic in the high school gymnasium. The vaccine comes in both an injection and nasal spray form.
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School nurse Regina Reynolds helps people through the H1N1 vaccine line administered at the clinic in Canfield High School, Friday November 13, 2009.
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H1N1 CLINIC: Matt Humeniuk gets the H1N1 vaccine from Julie Raforth, a registered nurse, in its nasal spray form at a flu clinic in Canfield High School on Friday.
The second wave of the flu virus is winding down, health officials say
By JON MOFFETT
Vindicator Staff Writer
Canfield High School students are preparing for the drama department’s depiction of the play “M.A.S.H.” and got some help getting into the medical characters.
The lobby in front of the gymnasium was transformed into a temporary hospital for H1N1 vaccinations Friday.
“This is a brand new virus, and it seems to be, from worldwide data, going after children under age 25, pregnant women and those with medical conditions,’ said Dianna Colaianni, nursing director for the Mahoning County Board of Health.
It is because of those age groups that schools have been targeted as sites to administer the vaccinations, Colaianni said.
Regina Reynolds, one of the high school nurses, said about 1,500 students were given the vaccination either through injection or nasal spray. She said the clinic was prepared to handle an additional 1,000 community members who “walked in” to get the vaccination.
Students backlogged the lobby because of a pep rally to honor the football team, which advanced to playoffs. Members of the football team were some of the first to receive the vaccination.
“It wasn’t too bad, I expected a lot worse,” said Matthew Humeniuk, a junior linebacker and quarterback who received the vaccine nasally. “It’s just so I feel safer about getting sick. I’d rather just have it, and it was free, so I figured why not?”
Senior Jackie Popoviec, 18, said she received her vaccination because her family is going to Mexico for a vacation later this year. She also took the nasal spray.
“It was fine,” she said of the nasal method. “I thought it was going to be worse; I thought it was going to sting or something, but it didn’t. It felt like water going up your nose.”
Others didn’t fare so well against the vaccination.
Alexander Betras, son of Dave Betras the Mahoning County Democratic Party chairman, pleaded with a nurse to give him “two more seconds” to mentally prepare himself for his injection. The elder Betras urged his 8-year-old son not to look and had to shield his eyes.
But Colaianni said it’s important for children such as Alexander to receive the vaccination.
“It is the best vaccine right now; it’s the only vaccine,” she said. “We feel it is safe and if you want your child protected, they need to get it.”
She said it is believed this is second of three waves for the virus. The first was in April, the second and current is winding down and a third wave is expected toward the beginning of next year.
While some parents are skeptical of having their child injected with the dormant form of the virus, some firmly believe in the protection it offers.
Demarcus Cospy, 14 and a freshman, sat stoned-faced in his chair as the nurse stuck the needle into his arm. Without flinching, he was bandaged up and on his way.
Asked why he received the shot, he shrugged and said, “My mom wanted me to get it.”
jmoffett@vindy.com