H1N1 vaccine draws crowd

PROVO — By 7:30 a.m. Thursday, 50 people were already lined up for the H1N1 vaccine, which was scheduled to be distributed starting at 9 a.m.

Just two hours after the Utah County Health and Justice Building opened, 700 people were lined up along the building and down the street.

"When I first drove up to work this morning, it was quite a shock to me to see the line," said Lance Madigan, spokesman for the Utah County Health Department.

His office had prepared for crowds, but no one had imagined the turnout they experienced. Last Thursday, when the first H1N1 vaccines were ready, he said the line stayed in the building. But that definitely was not the case this time.

Amy Pascoal, of American Fork, waited for more than 90 minutes before she got inside with her 1-year-old, 4-year-old and husband, who left work to get the vaccination.

Pascoal has a newborn and said she wanted to protect her young family because the H1N1 flu can hit young children the hardest.

Shala Stephens, also from American Fork, said it took her and her 1-year-old daughter about 2 1/2 hours total.

Like Stephens and Pascoal, almost everyone in line had at least one child with them; some had up to five. Most people said the long line was worth it, though.

Normally, a flu clinic would be able to get through about 1,000 patients a day. But Thursday, Madigan said the clinic got through 4,200 patients by 4:30 p.m. It helped that there was less paperwork to deal with since the H1N1 vaccine has been paid for by the federal government and is free to the public.

"We were giving vaccines away as quickly as we could," he said. "People were very patient for the most part."

Madigan said he thinks the turnout was so high because many children, including his, didn't have school classes Thursday because of teacher development.

Britney Hall, an 8-year-old from Lehi, was in line with her three siblings and pregnant mom. She wasn't excited about getting a shot but said someone from her neighborhood has already gotten the H1N1 flu and her teacher has told her about it.

"It can get you really sick," Britney said, explaining that she and her classmates have to wash their hands after lunch and recess as a precaution.

Tooele High School even canceled the school's football game against East High Friday because too many players on the team have the H1N1 flu. Tooele also postponed a girl's volleyball game against Olympus High on Thursday because only six of the 13 players were healthy, said Tooele High athletic director Richard Valdez.

"Our coach and one of her assistant coaches are both sick," he said. "The coach doesn't have the H1N1 flu, but the assistant does."