Governor gets his flu shot during tour of Lynchburg

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine put his bare arm into the public health campaign for flu prevention Tuesday in Lynchburg, getting his shot for seasonal flu during a clinic at Linkhorne Middle School.

“We’re just trying to spread the word that these vaccinations are occurring in our schools now,” Kaine said.

Flu-vaccine clinics, provided in schools by state Health Department personnel, started in some Lynchburg-area schools Monday and will continue until workers are able to get to all schools.

Later in the day, Kaine and his cabinet helped plant flowers and shrubs in a rain garden in Peaks View Park. The plants were the kinds that suck the pollutants out of parking-lot runoff before it flows into Ivy Creek and the James River.

Still later, Kaine and his cabinet, including Secretary of Natural Resources Preston Bryant, of Lynchburg, toured the downtown area and saw renovations in progress along Jefferson Street.

They also checked out the views from the top floors of the Parlor Lofts building and a 1900-vintage dry goods building where workers are creating condominiums for downtown living.

The flu-shot clinic was the start of Cabinet Community Day, in which Kaine brings a dozen cabinet members and senior staff to visit cities around the state four times a year.

Tuesday was the 16th and final such visit for the cabinet members, and the first time the group has visited Lynchburg. Kaine’s term as governor ends Jan. 16.

Kaine said he was getting the seasonal flu vaccine and not the H1N1 inoculation because supplies of that medication are slow in coming from manufacturers. “The delay is not safety-related,” Kaine said.

But he said he would wait until adequate supplies are on hand before he gets an H1N1 shot, because he’s not in one of the most vulnerable age groups.

First in line for H1N1 vaccinations, the state Health Department said, are: pregnant women; anyone who lives with or cares for infants under 6 months; health care and emergency workers; anyone ages 6 months through 24 years; and people 25-64 with underlying medical conditions.