Mass Vaccination Exercise Could Mean Free Flu Shots

By Renay Crain

September 10, 2004

Kiowa County Nursing Service, along with public health agencies in surrounding counties, will be holding a mass vaccination exercise on October 16, 2004. the event is not only an opportunity for local public health and emergency response personnel to gain valuable experience in how to conduct a mass immunization, but it is also a chance for some local residents to get a free flu shot.

Each county wrote mass immunization plans in 2003 and planners are now in the process of updating and refining them. Public health agencies are required by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and by Federal Homeland Security requirements to test and exercise on an annual basis. This exercise will be the first opportunity to test Kiowa Counties plan.

The Southeast Region of Colorado was the first region in Colorado to put together such an exercise. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment will provide 10,000 doses of flu vaccine for the nine counties in the Southeast Region, and they will be allocated by population and provided free of charge to participants. The region includes Baca, Bent, Kiowa, Otero Crowley, Cheyenne, Las Animas, Huerfano and Prowers.

Plans call for the exercise in Kiowa County to be held at the Kiowa County Court house. The exercise will begin at 8 a.m. with first responders, EMT’s, public works, hospital personnel, clinic volunteers, law enforcement officers and their families being immunized from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.

Initial vaccination of those key personnel is part of the response plan, and is included to ensure that those personnel can proceed with the duties that would be required if a real emergency occurred, and with the assurance that their families are protected while they are working.

The general public will then be asked to attend and participate from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.