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FLORENCE, AZ - Two mass vaccinations are planned for Saturday, November 14 from 8 AM to 5 PM at the Villago Middle School in Casa Grande and at Poston Butte High School in San Tan Valley.

A third clinic is planned for November 19th from 3 to 8 PM at Mammoth Elementary School in Mammoth. The focus of these clinics is to vaccinate those who are between 6 months and 24 years old or pregnant, however no one will be turned away unless they have clinical contraindications.

"We have the resources to vaccinate 5,000 people at each location on the 14th and expect to offer about 700 doses on the 19th," said Public Health Director Tom Schryer.

Schryer expects these three clinics to blunt the pent-up demand for the vaccine. As vaccine supply picks up, these new supplies of the vaccine can be made available at about 60 locations throughout the county without having each location overrun by crowds. These locations include health care providers, public health clinics, urgent care centers and pharmacies throughout the county.

"The sooner we can make this vaccine available through normal channels, the better off everyone will be," Schryer explained. "We have been pushing the vaccine out to many locations for weeks, but due to short supply we have been forced to limit vaccine administration to those who are at greatest risk for complications."

"These mass vaccination clinics are the most effective way to get the vaccine to a lot of people," Schryer said. "It takes a few weeks for the vaccine to achieve full effectiveness. Giving the shots now may help stop the spread of illness as people begin planning Thanksgiving and holiday gatherings."

What to expect on the 14th - Out of respect for peoples' time and to limit the time people have to wait in line, residents will check in and be fitted with a tamper-proof wrist band. The color of the band will indicate the time to return for the vaccine.

All family members must be present to receive a wristband as these bands are not transferable. Return times are based on the hourly capacity of the clinic, which is 625 per hour.

"Waiting in line is not fun, especially when you have children with you. For this reason, we developed a process that allows our residents to come with their family or friends, get an arm band and assigned time and then go off and do something other than wait in line for hours. When they return they will be able to line up and be through the process in about 60 to 90 minutes, including the 15 minute post-vaccination observation time," Schryer said.

What to expect on the 19th - The vaccine administration model is likely to be similar to the plan used on the 14th but will depend greatly on the number of people who attend.

If you are already sick, stay home - Pinal County Public Health will not vaccinate anyone who is ill. Sick individuals will be turned away and asked to wait in the car while the rest of their party is vaccinated. Parents of sick children are advised to stay home or arrange for care for the sick child.

Booster shots for children under 10 - The second booster shot for children under 10 will NOT be administered during these mass vaccination clinics. These clinics are for initial doses only. Children who need the booster should make arrangements with their family care provider or the public health clinic in their community.

If you are not available on these dates - Supplies of the vaccine are also being distributed to health care providers and will be available at public health clinics, pharmacies, urgent care centers and doctor's offices. Please be patient while the supplies catch up with demand. These clinics are intended to alleviate some of the pent-up demand so medical providers can begin administering to broader populations toward the end of the month.

Pinal County has an H1N1 Information Hotline with a recorded message featuring the latest H1N1 flu news. For the most recent information on vaccine availability within your area of Pinal County, please call the H1N1 Information Hotline toll free 1-888-840-8795 for English or 1-888-840-8796 for Spanish.

Pinal County maintains and updates its website with all the latest information to keep you informed on road conditions, public health, public works projects and other important information. Visit and bookmark www.pinalcountyaz.gov to stay informed. The special web page on H1N1 is http://pinalcountyaz.gov/Departments/PublicHealth/Pages/H1N1Flu.aspx

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Pinal County Residents in San Tan Valley and elsewhere:

Poston Butte High School
32375 North Gantzel Road
San Tan Valley, AZ 85143

Clinic hours: From 8 AM to 5 PM on Saturday, November 14.

Poston Butte High School is located on Gantzel Road between Combs Road and Ocotillo Road

Pinal County Residents in the Casa Grande, Eloy and Maricopa region:
Villago Middle School
574 E Lakeside Parkway
Casa Grande, AZ 85122

Clinic hours: From 8 AM to 5 PM on Saturday, November 14

Villago Middle School is located in the Villago community north of McCartney Road between State Route 387 and North Trekell Road

Residents in eastern Pinal County:

Mammoth Elementary School
111 West Dungan Drive
Mammoth, AZ 85618

Clinic hours: From 3 PM to 8 PM on Thursday, November 19