The supply of flu vaccine during Sunday's free clinic at the Martha's Vineyard Hospital was exhausted after less than three hours due to high demand.
Hundreds of adults and children turned out for vaccinations at the clinic, which was announced on Friday by public health agencies on the Vineyard.
Edgartown health agent Matthew Poole told the Gazette Monday morning that high turnout was expected, but organizers nevertheless ran out of the vaccine at 11:45 a.m. The clinic opened at 9 and was scheduled to go until 2 p.m.
"As it turned out, we delivered 809 doses, which were all the doses we had," Mr. Poole said.
Board of health officials, medical staff and pharmacists are working to obtain more vaccine for the Island in the next week, Mr. Poole said.
"There definitely is going to be an effort to get more vaccine here," he said.
At the Sunday clinic dozens of volunteers helped Islanders move swiftly and efficiently through the process. By mid-morning, hospital officials said they had vaccinated about 400 people.
The fast-moving line snaked around hospital hallways.
On Friday residents received text, phone and email notifications with information about the clinic, made available following an early flu outbreak statewide that prompted a run on vaccinations.
"It's nice to be able to provide vaccine when there is a demand," Mr. Poole said.
Volunteers from Island and Cape Cod health and community organizations assisted with processing paperwork and administering shots. "Like anything in this community, everybody wants to make it work," Mr. Poole said in between directing traffic on Sunday.
Click here for more photos from the flu clinic.
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