If you look very closely at those little colored dots, you'll see that they're people stretched all around the block.  I was back there at the end of the line at 8:30 this morning.  The line was all around the block in front of me.

In spite of having twelve stations and having arrived half an hour before the clinic opened, it took me four and a half hours of standing in the misty rain to get the vaccine for myself and my three and a half year old.  I was lucky.  My parents brought their van full of my son's favorite toys, and they kept him busy while I waited. Most of the people there were getting the vaccine for their young children.  There were many babies and children under five.  I can't imagine how difficult it must have been for all of those parents--not to mention the fact that only about 300 people who arrived after I did even received vaccines, since they ran out.  That means that people who arrived around the time the clinic was supposed to open were probably turned away.

While I am grateful to Fairfax County for the free shots, and while I think it is very responsible to get as many people vaccinated as quickly as possible to both stop them from getting sick and stop them from spreading illness to others, I have a few suggestions to offer.

First of all, it should have been anticipated that there would be LOTS of small children in tow.  There was a whole school available--why not make a special area for families with children to wait?

Second, the many heavily pregnant women who were in line ended up on their feet for hours.  One elderly woman with a medical condition evidently collapsed right in the doorway and almost died.  Something should be done to cater to those with medical conditions.

Third, there were thousands of people who showed up and only twelve vaccination stations.  I understand that it was probably on a volunteer basis, and I understand that a limited amount of vaccine was available.  But 4 1/2 hours is a long wait for anyone, especially out in the rain, especially with children.  By the time I was at the front of the line, only six stations were still open.  Perhaps more should be done to make sure that it is a more efficient process next time, so that everyone can go home sooner.

I want to add that getting vaccinated for H1N1 is probably the smartest thing anyone eligible can do right now.  It's not just about protecting yourself, it's about protecting others who are not eligible to get the vaccine because of age or health conditions.  Let's all work to keep this flu season as uneventful as possible.