By Jessica Solis
Staff Writer

The Osceola County Health Department will begin administering doses of the H1N1 swine flu vaccines this week, officials announced today.

On Wednesday, Nov. 18, the department will host a vaccine clinic at Gateway High School for children who live near the school and attend public, private and charter schools. Children in childcare centers, Head Start, pre-school and pre-kindergarten programs will also be able to receive the vaccines at no cost. The clinic will last from 4 to 8 p.m. at the school, 93 Panther Paws Trail, Kissimmee.

ccording to a department press release, Wednesday’s clinic at the high school will distribute vaccines for children living and going to school in the following zip codes: 34741, 34743 and 34744.

The department said it has future events tentatively scheduled, with plans to administer the vaccine to children who live in the St. Cloud and Poinciana area, as well as children living in eastern and western Osceola County.

Health providers around Osceola County also are continuing to receive doses of the vaccines, which are being dispersed to obstetricians, pediatricians, walk-in clinics and other physicians who serve the priority groups and are registered in Florida Shots.

The Centers for Disease Control is recommending the vaccines for priority groups. The groups include pregnant women, people who live with or care for infants younger than six months, anyone from 6 months to 24 years old and people 25 to 64 years old who have medical conditions that can put them at high risk for flu-related complications.

As of Nov. 6, Florida’s public stockpile of H1N1 antiviral medications totaled more than 1 million. As of last Tuesday, 160 people statewide had died of the virus.