Busiest day yet for L.A. County's free H1N1 clinics [Updated]

By 3 a.m. today a line had begun to form outside the Glendale Auditorium, determined to get vaccinated against H1N1 flu. When the clinic doors opened 6 1/2 hours later, city officials said the people in line likely numbered 2,500, as many as they had doses in hand.

[Updated 5:45 p.m.: An earlier version of this post reported that more than 100 people were in line at 3 a.m. based on information provided by a county public health spokeswoman. The official later said that the number came from Glendale police, and she could verify only that people were already in line at that time,]

For those trying to heed federal health officials' advice that they get the vaccine, the mood was one of anxiety.

Under a hot sun with little shade, mothers waited with children. Some shared food, chairs, crayons and portable DVD players. Children played with coloring books and joined Nerf football game on the grass as a dozen police and firefighters looked on. But there were also reports of people cutting in line, and police had to be called when a few of those waiting became irate when told they were ineligible after waiting for hours.

At noon, word came that the supply of vaccine had run out. A wooden barrier went up to cut off new arrivals, and the fortunate waited to see if the supply of nasal spray would hold out long enough for them. Some who cannot get the vaccine in mist form -- including those with breathing problems such as asthma -- left. But an hour later, L.A. Countypublic health officials said they had gone to the their warehouse for more injectables and now hoped to vaccinate 2,900 people.

By then, the line had grown, snaking around the building and doubling back in places. Pregnant women stood apart in a separate, shorter line.

Dr. Jonathan Fielding, the county's public health director, arrived in the early afternoon to help with screening. Mobbed with questions, Fielding advised frustrated families who had been waiting for hours that theirs was the busiest clinic of the day.

"We're in the same situation private providers are in--either we haven't gotten it or we got too little," Fielding said of the vaccine.

After concern late last week that they might have to end the free clinics Wednesday, Fielding said the county had enough vaccines for clinics planned through Nov. 8, and will announce new clinics in the next few days. But it was unclear when the next shipment of vaccine would arrive.

Fielding said today's clinics vaccinated about 300 people an hour. Two asthmatic women who were turned away after waiting in line all morning questioned why more was not done to screen out those ineligible for the vaccine or to give credit to those who had waited at other clinics and been turned away before.

"I don't want to go to another clinic and have the same thing happen," said Sylvia Denlinger, 53, of Eagle Rock.

Fielding said he sympathized, but that if those who had already waited were given credit, they would fill an entire clinic. He said public health officials had expected smaller crowds initially, mostly uninsured people, since most of the vaccines were supposed to go to private providers.

Now they are attempting to expand the clinics as private providers face shortages and turn away patients. While some waiting in Glendale today said they had no insurance, the majority said they were insured but had personal doctors who either ran out or never received the vaccine.

Many pulled their children out of school to wait in the heat.

Zoya Shahrivari, 29, of Los Angeles, who is about 4 1/2-months pregnant, waited in a shorter line with about 120 other pregnant women who all got the vaccine.

But her father, Ali Reza, 60, who said he has a heart condition and needed the vaccine, was still waiting this afternoon.

"I believe they are not going to have enough," said Reza, who works in construction. But he said he was happy his daughter got vaccinated.

"The pregnant women and the children are the most important," he said. "They just need more supply."

-- Molly Hennessy-Fiske reporting in Glendale

Related: Shortage of flu vaccines leaves healthcare workers vulnerable

Photo: People lined up today to get swine-flu shots at Glendale Civic Auditorium. Credit: Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times.

Comments

[Stephanie Wong]

The information provided was not correct. My family was the 6th family in line at the Glendale Civic Auditorium this morning arriving at 4:30am. There may have been a hundred people in line by 6am, but not at 3am.

[Gene M. Wong]

As an individual who arrived at 4:15 a.m. to get in line, there were only 6 families in line by 4:30 a.m. The numbers did not reach 100 until 6:00 a.m. - 6:30 a.m. in the morning. There was only one family who showed up at 3:00 a.m. They were the first in line. The five other families arrived between 4:00 a.m. - 4:30 a.m. Your report was very inaccurate stating there were 100 people in line by 3:00 a.m. and will cause individuals to show up at 2:00 a.m. for the next vaccination clinic.

[gomogi1]

like lambs to the slaughter

[Michele]

Ive lived in a town with a smaller population than the line for that flu clinic

[Ann]

I was in line today with my two year old at USC - I got in line at 7am, and there were only about 100 people ahead of me - by 9am, I would estimate the line was closer to 800. Then the county people pulled the pregnant women out of line to go first - which was fine. Their next move was MORONIC - a woman with a bullhorn then had everyone with children under twelve form yet another new line. Panic insued and there was a rush to the front. My husband and I got separated and I was holding my son and children began screaming. Once that setteled down - we were led through the line. The nursing stations were really unorganized - there were a number of tables set up for adults (not children and pregnant women) to get the shots. But since the county people were only letting in children and pregnant women, these tables were empty. They only had 4 nurses for to give the children shots. The logistics were terrible. My husband and I both have insurance and we have tried for the past month to get the H1N1 shot from our pediatritian - they say they don't have any. I work at a TV studio and a number of my colleagues who have children are all saying the same thing - their pediatirians don't have the shots either. Since children under 10 need to get two shots (4 weeks apart), I can't believe I may have to go through this again in 4 weeks. I understand there are shortages, but the communication between the health department and the people of LA needs to be much improved. It seems as though ONLY the county has received doses of the H1N1 vaccine. I would gladly go to our pediatritian, or even pay for the vaccine if I could find it. Another woman in line grumbled that this was the beginning of socialized medicine.

[BB]

I don't know why they had so many people in Glendale, when at CSULA the lines where small and they had extra flu vaccine to give out. The county should monitor the lines at all location and notify the people to go where there are less people waiting.

[JJP]

This was a fiasco.

I arrived with my 5 and 7 year olds at 8:15, waited 3 hours and then was told it would be another 2 hours in line. We left without the vaccine.

Rubbish.

[christopher grozier]

It must suck to have to stand in line with half the population of mexico in a (semi)U.S. city.They're responsible for this epidemic,than they expect the U.S. to protect them from it.Protect the world from H1N1,bomb mexico.

[Nina]

So frustrated that my pediatrician does not have the vaccine yet. I am willing to pay for the shot for my 10 month old baby but NO ONE has the vaccine!!! The ony option is to wait in line for hours at one of these free clinics ?!? We seem like such a "developing country / third world" with our crying babies waiting in chaotic unorganized lines for hours for a vaccine.

[TheBigPicture]

I wouldn't get that shot if you paid me; however, thank God for all of the volunteer guinea pigs. We shall monitor their progress...

[daphne]

I waited 5 hours last week in east la with a friend and our children. Everything went smoothly considering the amount of people waiting. However, inside the atmosphere was tough. Security was rude. I wanted to ask a question and a police officer threatened to throw me out. The people working the tables inside were painfully slow. The thought of having to do it again in 4 weeks is unimaginable for me.