Reported by Dave D’Marko
WINTER PARK -- Long lines of parents with their children wrapped around two Seminole County high schools early Saturday morning for the swine flu vaccine.
For many in Seminole County, the free flu clinic was their first chance to make sure their children get the special vaccine that protects against the H1N1 virus.
The health department began distributing the vaccine shots and nasal mist to school-age children at Seminole County's Crooms Academy of Information Technology and Lake Howell High School Saturday between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.
The shots were for school-age children only.
Many people in line were given orange tickets telling them what time they can get in line for the vaccine. That gives families an opportunity to come back and get their shots later in the day Saturday, as long as they are still available.
Health officials advised parents and their children to get out to the clinic early. There are 65,000 school-age children in Seminole County, and only 3,000 shots available at this time.
There were big crowds early, but the district ended up not using the entire 3,000 doses it had on hand.
Officials said whether a child gets the shot or the nasal spray depends on age and medical factors, as there are some complications with the spray.
Parents lined up at Lake Howell High School said they were concerned enough to to bring their children out to wait as early as 5 a.m. on the coolest morning Central Florida has seen in months to make sure they would get the vaccine.
"I had called my doctor and they didn't have it yet, so I heard they were having it here, so I said yeah let's do this," said parent Melanie Kurtz.
“I’d rather have my children have the side effects of the mist than die of the swine flu,” parent Gloria Beekman told News 13.
Of Florida’s 110 confirmed swine flu deaths, Seminole County has had two.
Seminole County plans future clinics for people who couldn't make it today.
Most counties in Central Florida said they are planning similar clinics at schools on upcoming weekends.
Orange County, however, was not. The county said the task would be too large for them, and left it up to parents to seek out other clinics, or get them from their family doctor.
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