BY BLAKE SCHMIDT
Jun 11, 2005
Deborah McIntosh went home from work Thursday night to play ball with her boys. When she tried to pick up the ball, her fingers wouldn’t bend.
“I couldn’t clench the ball, I had to scoop it,” McIntosh said, displaying her swollen, red digits the next morning. She didn’t put her rings on her fingers, either. They wouldn’t fit.
McIntosh, director of nursing for the Yuma County Health Department, is one of the certified nurses at the Yuma Civic Center whose hands are sore from giving so many shots. Since Wednesday, about 50 volunteers and nurses have administered 4,300 immune globulin shots to customers of Chile Pepper in the wake of fears of contracting hepatitis A after an employee of the restaurant was diagnosed with the virus.

But despite 13-hour days, sore hands and the occasional squeamish patient, nurses said Friday they were happy to help out the community.
“Your workload shifts, your priorities shift, but the most important thing now is taking care of the community, the patients,” said 51-year-old nurse Vikki Armer.
Armer described the scene in the civic center as “busy and hectic,” but said she was fascinated to meet all sorts of people.
Armer and her colleague Dawn Shephard were glad to see that things were slowing down at the civic center Friday.
“We have no family life right now,” Shephard said. After having given an average of 2,000 shots per day for the last two days, nurses were glad to see the line outside of the civic center slowly disappear. By 5 p.m. Friday, the civic center had administered 1,000 shots.
Armer and Shephard were even more relieved to hear that next week they could return to their normal schedules, as the shots will be given at the Yuma County Health Department instead of at the civic center.
“It’s slowing down, and it’s nice because we’re tired,” said Shephard.
Having administered hundreds of shots over the past few days, Armer said the best way to keep patients calm is to educate them.
“A lot of it is just anxiety. You have to talk to them and tell them the truth, let them know it is going to hurt a little,” she said.
Shephard, who admitted to being afraid of needles, said that everyone should come and get the shot, despite fear of needles, because after all, it’s “a smokin’ deal,” she said. Typically the immune globulin, or IG, shot costs $28, but it is free all next week.
Shephard and Armer both said they will continue to eat at Chili Pepper.
“We love the food,” said Shephard. “That could’ve happened at any restaurant in town.”
The IG shot is different from the hepatitis A vaccine. It can provide protection for three to five months, according to the health department. The shot should be given within two weeks of exposure. People with serious allergic reaction to latex, with certain antibody deficiencies or who have serious problems with bleeding should contact their health-care provider before receiving IG.
Shots will continue to be given at the civic center from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday. The county health department, 2200 W. 28th St., will be giving free IG shots Monday through Friday at the health department from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. next week.
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Blake Schmidt can be reached at 539-6852.