Flu Shot Clinic Volunteers Needed in Blanco County

With the swine flu coming on top of the regular flu this season, the Texas Department of State Health Services is expecting a high -- perhaps record -- demand for flu shots, both against the seasonal flu and the new H1N1 strain.

This year's combined flu campaign is forecast to be the biggest immunization of children since the polio vaccine of the sixties.

"We should have enough expanded manpower to supply the 'shooters' for the shot clinics," said DSHS trainer Jacque Hagerty, "but we still need volunteers to help answer questions, handle the crowds and help people with paperwork."

To help build a pool of those volunteers, Hagerty is making two trips to Blanco County for three training sessions for people willing to help keep their neighbors healthy this flu season. The free classes will be in Blanco, Johnson City and Cypress Mill: 9:00 am in Blanco on Saturday, August 29, at New Hope Lutheran Church in the All Faiths Chapel building, 9th and Elm, 2:00 pm in Johnson City the same day, at First United Methodist 
Church, 105 North LBJ at Pecan, 6:30 pm in Cypress Mill Wednesday, September 2, at St Luke's Episcopal Church, 263 Spur 962.

Hagerty said those who come to the free classes will learn about flu, how state shot clinics will work this year, how emergency mass vaccinations might work in a sudden epidemic, and how volunteers will play a role in all those situations. Taking the class does not obligate anyone to serve in a shot clinic.

Pre-registration is not required. For more information, call
George Barnette at 713-252-2288.