10/26/09 – Mayor Gavin Newsom today announced the initial arrival of the first major shipment of the H1N1 swine flu vaccine in San Francisco. Approximately 28,000 doses of the injectable vaccine have been delivered to the San Francisco Department of Public Health. High risk patients who get their healthcare at public health clinics will begin getting the vaccine today. Injectable vaccine is also available at Kaiser and other clinician offices throughout the City.

Meanwhile, Department of Public Health staff has begun cataloguing, organizing and distributing a large portion of H1N1 swine flu vaccine to 9 sites throughout the City in preparation for a series of H1N1 swine flu vaccination clinics designed especially for high risk individuals who do not have a primary care provider or whose primary care provider does not have the vaccine.

“This is a public health issue with a big City-wide effort behind it,” said Mayor Newsom. “We are working diligently to ramp up for a series of vaccination clinics beginning on Thursday, October 29 and continuing for up to six days if necessary. Right now, we are looking for volunteers among San Francisco residents—clinical and non-clinical individuals—who want to help us deliver this vaccine to high risk residents.” Read more.

The vaccine is free of charge at vaccine sites. To find out the locations and times for the H1N1 Swine Flu Vaccine clinics that begin on October 29, go to http://www.sfcdcp.org/FluVaccinesSites.html.