Original story and photos by Stephanie CrosbyThousands of Louisville residents have been getting H1N1 vaccinations in the city’s first mass vaccination clinic.Health department officials say 12,613 doses were administered on the first day of the clinic Wednesday, and 7,000 more doses will be available on Thursday.The parking lot off Floyd Street just south of Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium has been turned into a maze of traffic cones and tents to direct people to either the drive-through or walk-in vaccination sites.Donna Hunt was waiting this morning in the walk-in line. She has diabetes and is expecting her grandchild to be born soon, and wanted to reduce risk to the child. But she thought the traffic to get to the clinic was a headache.
“The traffic coming in here was a disaster because they had a job fair going on at the same time," said Hunt, "and they should have had better directional signs at the intersections and I don’t think everyone would have been so frustrated.”Hunt said, though, that once at the clinic, the lines were moving well.Jodi Koesters was also waiting this morning in the walk-in line with her four children, ages 6, 5, 3 and ten months. She says she had tried to get H1N1 vaccines for them elsewhere.“We called our doctor and they were all out of it and they weren’t going to get anymore in for several weeks," said Koesters. "So it was worth it to come down here and just make sure everyone stayed healthy.”
Shots will also be distributed again Thursday from 8 AM to 8 PM, or when the remaining vaccine runs out.
