BLOOMINGTON -- About 2,000 McLean County residents were vaccinated against the novel H1N1 influenza on Tuesday in a massive county health department walk-in clinic that resembled a military operation.

The Sale Barn, 2027 S. Main St., Bloomington, was transformed into a huge clinic with 28 vaccination stations in which 35 nurses wearing yellow health department vests vaccinated county residents deemed by the federal government as priority populations. They were pregnant women, children and young people between 6 months and 24 years old, caregivers of infants younger than 6 months old, and residents 25 through 64 years old with a chronic medical condition or weakened immune system.

Wearing a green "incident commander" vest, health department Director Walt Howe said 85 people worked at the clinic, mostly from the health department and its medical reserve corps.

The free clinic began at noon and at 6:15 p.m., the health department closed the doors because workers couldn't handle more patients, health department spokeswoman Jan Morris said after the clinic closed at 7 p.m.

"We made our goal for today and we'll be scheduling additional clinics," she said.

"I'm certainly happy with the turnout," Howe said. "If you're trying to get vaccine out to a lot of people quickly, a mass vaccination is the way to do it."

Bill Barnes, 61, of Hudson was the first to arrive at 8:45 a.m. and by noon, about 400 people were lined up from the Sale Barn entrance nearly to Main Street. Some children played ball in the adjoining field as their parents held their place in line.

People were orderly, even when doors opened and people filled out forms before they lined up to get their shots. Crying children were vaccinated as they were held by their parents.

Barnes, who has diabetes, believes in the effectiveness of flu shots and already had received his seasonal flu vaccination.

"This seemed like a good way to do it," he said of the walk-in clinic.

Leanne Hempen of Bloomington arrived at 10:15 a.m. to have her three children vaccinated: Michael, 4; Amelia, 3; and Timothy, 8 months.

"I need my flu shot so I won't get a flu," Michael said after getting vaccinated in his arm. "I was just scared but I thought it would go through my body (arm) to the other side. But it only went half-way through. It didn't hurt."

His mother said "If you can do anything to avoid your children getting a bad flu and to keep them healthy, it's a good thing."

Asked whether the vaccine was tested enough, Hempen said "I lost two children (to a degenerative brain disorder), so I'll take a chance to keep my children healthy. I realize there hasn't been a lot of testing but that's the situation we're in."

Cara Wilson, 23, of Bloomington, knows people who have gotten H1N1 and got vaccinated because she works three jobs and goes to school at Heartland Community College. "I do not have time to get sick."

"I think it's great," she said of the clinic. "I was expecting to pay because I have no health insurance but it was free."

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Coming Thursday

Should the social etiquette - such as shaking hands and opening doors for people - change in light of concerns over the spread of H1N1 influenza? Health officials and other local residents share their thoughts in Thursday's Pantagraph.

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