Treasure Valley residents line up for H1N1 protection: Health departments gave out more than 5,000 vaccinations at Boise and Nampa clinics.

Oct 25, 2009 (The Idaho Statesman - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- KMRT | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating -- The vaccination clinic at the former Kmart store on ParkCenter Boulevard was the first to run short on vaccine and close its doors, just after noon Saturday -- and after 924 Boiseans got their shots and nasal spray.

The clinic at the old CompUSA store on Milwaukee Road in Boise stayed open a few hours longer, dispensing more than 1,000 doses.

The Nampa clinic at the former Sportsman's Warehouse kept going until its 5 p.m. closing time, serving 3,170 people, Southwest District Health spokeswoman Laurie Boston said.

All sites ran out of injectable vaccine first -- the form suited to small children, people older than 50 and people with respiratory difficulty.

"Some flu mist went unused Saturday," said Dave Fotsch, Central District Health spokesman. None will go to waste, but may be used later in school-based clinics, he said.

Boston said her district had a few nasal vaccine doses left over, too.

The health districts will hold clinics again next Saturday at the same locations.

Fotsch said the districts will keep the public updated through the week about the numbers of doses that will be available. Fotsch said the next shipment of vaccine coming to Idaho is in spray form.

Families showed up early to wait for vaccine at all three sites.

One family showed up in Nampa at midnight, and a few more arrived between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m., Boston said. The line serpentined through the parking lot to the road, swelling to an estimated 1,500 people by time doors opened at 11, she said.

But the crowd moved through relatively quickly, thanks to the 25 people inside dispensing vaccine -- substantially more than the 14 who were on hand at last week's clinic, she said. By 2 p.m., the line had dispersed and people who arrived for shots walked right in.

Fotsch said the first arrival at Milwaukee was a man whose 12-year-old daughter has type 1 diabetes, and thus falls within a "priority group," along with pregnant women, very young children and others. The man spent all night in line, until his wife and daughter arrived at 8 a.m. to relieve him.

The story was similar at ParkCenter.

George Durller arrived at 3:30 a.m. Saturday morning. He was the first in line, and held a spot for 11-month-old granddaughter, Yvette.

By 4:30 a.m., he had company: other parents and grandparents who showed up to hold their family's place.

"I get up early all the time to go duck and elk hunting, so it wasn't hard," Durller said.

Yvette, carried in the arms of her mom, Diane Durller, showed up a few hours later, and got her vaccination, one shot in the leg.

Angela Spain, a spokeswoman at the ParkCenter site, said the health department will continue to get shipments of H1N1 flu vaccine every week. Once priority groups are served, vaccinations will be available to the general public.

Eventually, she said, everyone who wants a vaccination will be able to get one.

Statesman reporter Kristin Rodine contributed to this story.

Anna Webb: 377-6431

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