Taking health into their own hands

Tomeika Richardson stands in front of the line. About a two feet from the front door of the Independence Health Department, Richardson waits.

At her feet, on the ground, is her 3-month-old son Jakhi Meachm. He was tucked warmly inside a baby seat.

Richardson wraps a coat around the infant, shielding him from rain that started pelting them.

It wasn’t cold but it wasn’t warm either.

Finally, Richardson picks up the seat and walks to a canopy where health department employees had set up.

She wants to keep her baby dry. And herself.

There was no need getting sick in the rain. After all, that’s why Richardson was at the health department.

The 25-year-old Richardson came to get the H1N1 vaccination last week at the department’s free flu clinic.

“I can’t afford to get sick,” she says. “Cause when I get sick, he gets sick. I want to stay protective. That’s why I’m here. That’s why he’s here.”

Richardson, who’s originally from Washington D.C., has put off getting the vaccination. “I was being lazy,” she says with a laugh. “But at least I’m getting it.”

 Hundreds of Independence residents like Richardson got the FluMist last Thursday.

Nicole Jaso, of Independence, gave Richardson and son Jakhi a ride to the clinic. Jaso also brought her 4-year-old daughter, Abbagalle Arndt.

Abbagalle and Richardson would be getting the mist.

Jakhi and Jaso could not receive the FluMist. Jaso is 4 months pregnant and Jakhi is too young.

“With everything going on right now and how like serious it is with children, I might as well,” Jaso said of protecting her daughter.

Richardson said, “It ain’t so much with children, it’s with everybody.”

“But children are vulnerable to it,” Jaso said. “Oh well, better be safe than sorry.”

They arrived at 1:30 p.m. Health workers handed them a card with an assigned time of 3:15 p.m.

The city herded people inside for the vaccination in groups of about 80 in intervals of 30 minutes. This prevented long lines that people experienced the week before, when the line stretched nearly 100 yards from the door.

So finally Richardson, Jaso, and the two children entered the health department.

Up the stairs and down the hall, they encountered another line.

The one was quicker.

Health department director Larry Jones handed Richardson and Jaso a medical form.

They entered a large waiting room where people were sitting down, filling out the form they had also received.

The form asked them general information like name, address, age. But more importantly, it asked for medical history like if the person has asthma or egg allergies or other conditions that could disqualify.

After they completed the form, they were ushered into a room where Richardson and Abbagalle would get the vaccination.

Dividers cut the room in sections, providing privacy for them.

Joan Kolich was a health department worker who administered the vaccine to them.

“Now this is a syringe but it’s not a shot,” said Kolich, who pulled out the device to show Abbagalle. “OK, sweetheart.”

“It won’t hurt, I promise.”

Abbagalle sniffed in the mist.

Richardson, sitting beside Abbagalle and would get the mist next, said: “I think I’m the one who’s gonna be scared.”

Abbagalle was given her choice of flavored Dum-Dum suckers. She picked lemon favor.

She popped off the chair. She’s good to go.

Richardson got her nasal spray. It was painlessly easy, she says.

Jaso said she was relieved that the vaccination of her daughter and friend went smoothly and without tears or pain.

“I’m shocked because on the news they made it look like it was really bad and that the kids were crying when getting the vaccination.”

The Independence Health Department will host another H1N1 clinic Thursday. The clinic, like the previous three will offer the FluMist vaccination for people ages 2 to 24, healthcare workers and caregivers of children less than six months old. The clinic is open for Independence residents and is free of charge.

Because the vaccine is the FluMist form, it should not be given to:

■ Children younger than 2 and adults older than 50.

■ Pregnant women

■ People with chronic medical conditions

■ People with an allergy to eggs or any other substance in the vaccine

■ People with asthma

■ Anyone who has received antiviral medications in the3 last 48 hours

■ Anyone who has had the seasonal FluMist in the last 28 days.