COMING TOMORROW

How businesses and schools are coping with swine flu

By KEITH UPCHURCH

kupchurch@heraldsun.com; 419-6612

DURHAM — For the second consecutive Wednesday, the Durham County Health Department’s H1N1 (swine) flu clinic drew a massive crowd as families with young children and others at risk of getting the disease rolled up their sleeves or got the nasal spray vaccine.

A line of at least 500 wrapped around the National Guard Armory on Stadium Drive at midafternoon, and another 500 waited inside to get their vaccines.

Wednesday’s clinic opened just before 3 p.m. and included 2,200 doses of the vaccine, according to Gayle Harris, health department director. By 7 p.m., when the clinic closed, 1,731 doses had been given out, she said.

More vaccinators were at Wednesday’s clinic than the previous week, which helped people move through the lines faster.

Harris said the swine flu continues to be “very widespread’’ in Durham County, and she confirmed that a Durham County man in his 40s with the swine flu died. She wasn’t sure when the death occurred.

“I do know that the individual had multiple health problems,’’ Harris said. “And any of those health problems could have led to his death.’’

She said the state would record it as a swine flu-related death.

So far, she said, the health department has vaccinated about 7,000 people in Durham County. But she said private providers, including retail pharmacies, are also offering the vaccine, so an exact number is not available.

“My dream is that we will be able to map the location of those at greater risk and overlay that map with the vaccine penetration, identifying those who have been vaccinated so we can see where we need to really take our efforts,’’ she said.

Meanwhile, beginning Tuesday, Harris plans to start offering H1N1 vaccinations by appointment at the health department at 414 E. Main St. To schedule an appointment, call (919) 560-7882.

“With the holidays coming, and recognizing the need to get vaccine into the community as quickly as possible, we thought one of the easier ways to do that would be to schedule appointments using temporary staff,’’ she said. “And so on Tuesday, we’ll have eight nurses vaccinating with four 15-minute appointments an hour each.’’

After Thanksgiving, she said, ‘‘we will ramp up to as many as 15 nurses vaccinating with the same schedule.’’

Plans are to continue the shots by appointment and perhaps offer another mass clinic in December. But if large shipments arrive, Harris said, more mass clinics may be held.