The battle against H1N1 flu intensified in Hays County with the designation of a new satellite clinic in San Marcos.

The Hays County Personal Health Department has designated a clinic at 705 W. Hopkins Street, Suite 112 to administer free H1N1 vaccinations to residents of Hays County.

The clinic will initially focus its small supply of vaccine on those prioritized by the Texas Department of State Health Services as “at risk.”

No other Personal Health Department services or immunizations will be available at that site.

Priority groups include pregnant women, children age six months through four years, persons age five years through 64 years with high-risk health conditions, health-care workers who provide direct patient care, and persons who have close contact with infants age six months and younger.

High-risk health conditions include immunosuppressive disorders such as long-term aspirin or steroid therapy, HIV/AIDS, COPD, asthma and congestive heart failure.

“To make it more convenient for residents to get the vaccine, we’ve designated a special clinic that will administer only the H1N1 vaccine,” Priscilla Hargraves, director of the Hays County Personal Health Clinic, said. “We encourage people needing only the H1N1 vaccine to go to the satellite clinic since it will be open every day and wait times should be greatly reduced.”

Hargraves urged persons in priority groups to check with their private health care providers first for the immunization, as those providers should also be receiving some vaccine.

“The Personal Health Department is considered a ‘safety net’ for those persons who don’t have access to vaccine through a regular health-care provider,” Hargraves said. “The Texas Department of State Health Services plans to send County health departments small amounts of vaccine each week while the vaccine remains in short supply. As the supply of vaccine increases, additional priority groups and the general population will be offered the H1N1 vaccine,” she said.

The satellite clinic will be open Monday, Nov. 23, from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Tuesday, Nov. 24, from 8:30 to 4:30 p.m. The clinic will be closed the remainder of that week for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Beginning Monday, Nov. 30, the clinic’s regular hours will be Mondays and Wednesdays from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

When H1N1 vaccine is available it will also be offered to high-risk patients at regular immunization clinics, including the first Thursday of every month from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Hays County Precinct 4 building in Dripping Springs, 195 Roger Hanks Parkway.

For additional information or to check on vaccine availability, contact the satellite clinic at 393-5580.