The new H1N1 vaccine should be taken as a supplement to the seasonal flu shot, according to one Valley doctor.
Dr. Joseph McCormick, an eight year resident of the Rio Grande Valley, said this vaccine will be widely available as soon as shipments arrive to the valley.
"At worst it’s gonna cause a little bit of local redness or something,” he said. “But it’s not a vaccine to be afraid of."
He said the vaccine is targeted towards four primary groups: people with underlying conditions, pregnant women, the elderly, and children.
Brownsville mom Maribel Salazar said she’s waiting for more information to get her two children immunized, especially during a double threat flu season looming, with the seasonal flu and the H1N1 Virus.
"It is important for all the people to be prepared and to get the information for the security of all of the families," she said.
According to the U.S. Deparment of Health, shipments of the H1N1 vaccine will begin to arrive in certain clinics throughout the state and the nation by Tuesday. But for parents like Port Isabel resident Gilbert Sanchez, that day cannot come soon enough.
"I just called the doctor actually, on Thursday,” the father of four said. “They said they wouldn't have any down here in the Valley until after November."
But that is not Sanchez’s only concern about the vaccine. "I don't know if it’s gonna be accessible for everybody or just people who are covered."
Doctor McCormick said the vaccine will be available to everyone, regardless of insurance. The only difference, according to him, is that if those don’t have it will have to pay the full price.
He also said that to find more information on when the vaccine will be available in specific Valley areas, to check with a doctor.
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