Dubuque Opens H1N1 Clinic to Public

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By Daren Sukhram

Story Created: Nov 23, 2009 at 10:47 PM CST

Story Updated: Nov 23, 2009 at 10:47 PM CST

DUBUQUE - Dubuque held another H1N1 vaccine clinic Monday, this time opening it up to more people.

Iowa health officials say those clinics have helped slow down the spread of the virus. But with millions hitting the road for Thanksgiving, some worry they'll pack the disease with them.

High School Senior Bridget Klein looks forward to seeing her friends who are returning home from college. But worries what they might bring home with them.

"You never know if they are sick and you want to see them because you haven't seen them in so long. Dubuque doesn't seem like it got it too bad but other places may have that I don't know about," Klein said.

Jennifer Duggan and her family now live in Arizona, but are back home in Dubuque for Thanksgiving. After their flight, they came to this vaccine clinic at The Crescent Community Clinic. It was too hard to get that vaccine in Arizona.

Duggan said, "They also have clinics that we tried to get the shot for, but when we went they had already run out."

This is the first time Crescent has been able to expand the priorities groups and make the vaccine available to more people.

Crescent's Julie Woodyard said, "If people travel to other places where it's still growing strong and they have not been immunized they may catch it and bring it home."

That's exactly what these people want to avoid.

Woodyard says health experts expect the seasonal flu to peak next month. Then see another spike in H1N1 after the holidays are over.

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