Swine Flu Vaccine Arrives At Day Spa; County Clinics Still Short

INDIAN WELLS – A new shipment of Swine Flu vaccines is in. They’re not available at Riverside County health clinics. A day spa and laser surgery center in Indian Wells has them.

This seems to be the hottest property in Riverside County. H1N1 spray mist vaccines. There’s a refrigerator filled with 100 of them. Up to 1,000 are on the way. We did not find them at a county medical clinic. They’re all out. We found it at the Eterna Day Spa and Laser Center in Indian Wells.

How did they get this supply that county public health officials can’t seem to get? Simple. Dr. Weisman’s medical spa just asked.

“He actually was the first in the nation to receive it because he just had the foresight for that, far along, that many months ago that we would be needing this for the community,” says Eterna Medical Day Spa’s Lucy Schwartzer, RN.

County health official Dr. Eric Frykman is confused and asking why the state health department would give much needed vaccine to an Indian Wells laser surgery center rather than a public health clinic.

Dr. Frykman adds, “The CDC director is frustrated about this. It continues to be a frustration to the entire vaccination world because it’s just something that we’d like to set up clinics, we’d like to vaccinate, we’d like to protect the public. At this point, we’re delayed in doing so.”

The CDC says pregnant women and the chronically ill should be given high priority. In Indian Wells, it’s first come, first serve.

We ask Schwartzer,”If a person, relatively healthy, like myself, said, ‘I want some H1N1 vaccine’, you would say?” Her answer is, “Of course. If we have it, you can have it.”

I’m not in a high priority group. I’m 28 years old with no chronic health problems. We were somewhat surprised to discover people just like me would be offered a shot when they’re made available Wednesday.

This medical spa is encouraging high priority people to come early. These rare vaccines are available for $9.00 beginning at 9:00 Wednesday morning at the Eterna Medical Spa and Laser Center at 75270 Highway 111, Suite 202. That’s located next to The Nest Restaurant and UBS Bank building. They can be reached by phone at 760-341-5247.