PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The city has received a $135,812 grant through the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission and the state Department of Public Health for an H1N1 vaccination program.
Dr. Philip Adamo, chairman of the city's Board of Health, and Health Director James J. Wilusz said grant will be used to create a comprehensive, educational, and mitigation flu program and to offer the voluntary H1N1 vaccinations to priority groups within the city.
The Board of Health has been working collaboratively with community partners such as the Berkshire Visiting Nurses Association, Berkshire County sheriff's department, Berkshire Health Systems, Berkshire Community College, the Pittsfield Public School System, and others in an effort to educate the public on the importance of safe and sanitary hygiene, to promote proper hand washing and to offer free vaccination clinics for the H1N1 once the vaccine arrives and preventative measures on what people can do to reduce the chances of contracting the H1N1 virus.
For more information on the H1N1 virus (also known as swine flu), contact the Health Department at 413-499-9411 or visit www.pittsfield.com.
