The Lee County Health Department along with the School District, Emergency Management and United Way have developed a plan which will provide county residents with a convenient and simple way to protect themselves and their families from H1N1 (swine flu). The health department anticipates beginning H1N1 vaccines by the middle of October.
“The plan in place has been all summer in the making and it will be the tool to accomplish the mass vaccination project the Lee County Health Department will begin in mid-October. Also, we truly need your help as a volunteer and are confident that with the support of this big-hearted community… we can do it” said Judith A. Hartner, M.D., M.P.H., M.P.A., director of the Lee County Health Department, in a prepared statement.
For the public’s convenience, vaccinations will be given at local high schools throughout the county and countless volunteers are needed. Because the Lee County Health Department is committed to meeting the needs of the public, H1N1 clinics will be open during the week and on Saturdays. For this reason, we need a large pool of volunteers so all slots can be filled.
Anyone can volunteer. Both medically trained and non-medical volunteers are needed. Your skills will be matched to the job that’s best for you. Example volunteer jobs include: directing people as they arrive and depart, registering patients, data entry, and stocking supplies.
To sign up to be a volunteer fax or email a volunteer application which can be located at your local library or downloaded at www.LeeEOC.com under the Breaking News section.
After you have signed up, one of our volunteer coordinators will contact you to discuss the next orientation session and to determine when and where you will volunteer.
For more information on influenza activity there are a number of resources available such as the Florida Department of Health toll-free number which provides public health information and updates on H1N1 Swine flu. The information line is available from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. EDT, seven days a week. Information is available in English, Spanish and Creole. The Florida Flu Information Line is 1-877-352-3581.

For web-based information please visit any of the following Web sites:
Lee County Health Department, www.leechd.com
Florida Department of Health, www.doh.state.fl.us/DEMO/php/FluInfo.htm
My Safe Florida, www.myflusafety.com
The Centers for Disease Prevention and Control, http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/
The World Health Organization, (WHO), http://www.who.int/en/
Flu.gov, http://www.flu.gov/