After running low on swine-flu vaccine last week, area health departments are again receiving shipments. The Chesterfield Health District will hold an H1N1 vaccination clinic starting today at noon at health department offices at 9501 Lucy Corr Circle. The health district has 800 vaccine doses, and the clinic will run until 5 p.m. or the vaccine runs out, whichever comes first. The clinic is targeting children, pregnant women and others at high risk for complications from influenza.

President Barack Obama’s national-emergency declaration to deal with H1N1 influenza will allow Virginia hospitals to respond rapidly if the pandemic worsens here, Gov. Timothy M. Kaine said yesterday. But it won’t lead to the production of any more vaccine against the disease known as swine flu. Obama’s declaration of a national emergency—signed Friday night and announced yesterday—means that hospitals can set up emergency rooms off-site if needed to treat influenza cases and protect other patients from infection.

Schools in Hanover and King William counties are dealing with clusters of cases of flulike illness while health officials map out plans to vaccinate thousands of children. “We are having some illness here,“ said Mark Russell Jones, superintendent of King William schools. He said administrators are aware of about 10 students absent because of flulike illness at the county primary school, which has about 600 students.

A Varina District town meeting on infant mortality and H1N1 swine flu is scheduled Monday at 7 p.m. at Henrico Theatre, 305 E. Nine Mile Road. Health officials will be available to answer questions.
The Medical Reserve Corps in the Chesterfield, Powhatan and Colonial Heights communities is looking for volunteers to help with school flu-vaccine efforts. Volunteers such as licensed nurses, doctors and pharmacists are needed but also support people with clerical, data-management and logistical skills.

Richmond officials this week are starting a campaign urging pregnant women not to smoke. Cigarette smoking in pregnancy is linked with early labor and low-birthweight babies. Both are risk factors for newborns not making it to their first birthday.