A second round of mass flu vaccinations drew hundreds of seniorsand at-risk adults to the Lincoln County Multi-Use Facilitytoday.

Mississippi Department of Health officials are sponsoringseveral vaccinations in selected counties today in an effort to getflu vaccine to at-risk adults. A similar event held Nov. 9 drewhundreds of county residents but ended in the afternoon when the557-dose supply ran out.

John Adams of Brookhaven said he arrived at 5:30 this morningafter missing his chance two weeks ago. He waited “a long time”Nov. 9 but was still in line when the vaccine supply dried up.

“I missed out on the first one. They ran out. So this time Isaid I was going to be number one or two,” Adams said.

He was close. Adams was the seventh person to receive a shottoday. By 8:30 a.m., more than 350 people had received shots.

Karey Riddle, a health department event coordinator, said thedoors were not scheduled to open until 8 a.m. but they beganletting people in around 6:15 a.m. so they could sit down and nothave to wait outside, where rain was forecast to last throughoutthe day.

With 60 people inside by 6:30 a.m., she said, they decided tostart administering the shots.

“Since there were so many people waiting, we went ahead and gotstarted,” Riddle said.

Lincoln County has more than 800 doses on hand today, Riddlesaid, and if the demand is high enough here, and less in aneighboring county, more may be shipped in from another vaccinationcenter.

“If there is more available in a neighboring county and we needit, we can get it,” she said.

Riddle said officials would stay on site as long as they hadvaccine to administer.

“We’re here until 5 p.m. or we run out of vaccine,” shesaid.

Leonard Posey and his wife complimented the health department onits efforts.

“It went smooth. I didn’t have to wait long,” he said.

The couple arrived around 8:15 a.m. and received their shotsaround 8:45 a.m.

It was far different than their last experience.

“We never even got close last time,” he said.

When they arrived around 9:15 a.m. Nov. 9, they were waved onwithout even parking because the supply of vaccine was not evensufficient to cover those already in line, he said.

Adams also complimented the health department.

“They got it set up and organized real nice in there,” he said.”It’s not like it was before.”

Riddle said this is “more than likely” the last mass vaccinationthat will be held in Lincoln County, although another will be heldif needed.

“After this one they, should be able to go through their localcounty health department to get one,” she said.

People considered at high risk of getting the flu include adults65 or older; people with long-term health problems such as heartdisease, kidney disease, lung disease, metabolic diseases, such asdiabetes; blood diseases, or a weakened immune system; women whoare pregnant; and anyone who lives with or cares for children lessthan six months old.

Adult vaccines differ from those administered to children.High-risk doses are made using killed, instead of weakened,viruses.

Flu vaccines for healthy adults will not be available this yearbecause of a national shortage of the vaccine that occurred whenone of two major suppliers was closed because of contaminatedbatches.

Normal-risk adults have the option of using an inhaled fluvaccine, MedImmune Inc.’s FluMist, which is available for healthy5- to 49-year-olds and made from live, but weakened, influenzavirus.

A flu treatment called Tamiflu is also available for healthyadults. It can protect against infection if swallowed daily duringan outbreak.