Pen Bay Healthcare Offers H1N1 Flumist Vaccine

Pen Bay Healthcare is offering the H1N1 flumist vaccine to selected segments of the population, including young children and those who care for them.

On Saturday, Oct. 17, from 9 a.m. to noon at the Pen Bay YMCA in Rockport, a flu vaccination clinic will offer the flumist (nasal spray) version. In addition, nasal spray/flumist vaccinations are available at the Kno-Wal-Lin Home Care and Hospice office in Rockland, at 170 Pleasant St., Monday through Friday, 11 a.m.to 1 p.m., while supply is available.

A limited supply of live attenuated nasal spray H1N1 vaccine (H1N1 flumist) is available for the following priority groups at this time at both the Pen Bay YMCA Oct. 17 clinic at the Kno-Wal-Lin location:

• Healthy children ages 2, 3 and 4 years of age.

• Healthy non-pregnant people age 2 to 49 years who are household contacts (including siblings) or caregivers of infants under six months of age.

Pen Bay Healthcare also has seasonal flu vaccine available for children 6 to 36 months old (flu shot).

For more information, please call KWL at 594-9561. For more information seasonal flu and H1N1 flu, and an updated list of flu vaccination opportunities, visit pbmc.org/flu.

IMPORTANT NOTES: People who have already received the nasal spray formulation of seasonal flu vaccine should wait four weeks before receiving the nasal spray formulation of H1N1 vaccine to ensure an effective response to both vaccines. People who have already received the injectable seasonal flu vaccine may receive the nasal spray H1N1 vaccine at any time.

Children under 10 years of age will need 2 doses of H1N1 vaccine, about 4 weeks apart (this guideline applies to both nasal and injected).