Arundel Digest

More swine flu vaccine available

PAROLE - The county Health Department began taking more appointments for scarce H1N1 vaccine this morning.

At 8:30 a.m., the department started taking calls for 2,100 appointments for the injectable and nasal spray forms of the swine flu vaccine. The last time the health department offered appointments for the vaccine was on Oct. 23, when it filled all 450 appointments within two hours.

At this point, the vaccine is going only to targeted priority groups: pregnant women, people who live with or provide care for infants younger than 6 months old, health care and emergency medical services personnel, people ages 6 months through 24 years old, and people ages 25 to 64 with chronic health disorders or compromised immune systems.

The nasal spray can't be given to everyone in the priority groups. Pregnant women, people older than 49 and younger than 2 and people with chronic health disorders or compromised immune systems can take only the injectable vaccine.

To schedule an appointment, call 410-222-4896. Additional information is available at www.aahealth.org.

Victim of Oct. crash dies from injuries

Lothian - A Prince George's County man who was critically injured last month in a Lothian crash died Sunday from his injuries, county police said.

Robert Francis Burdette, 74, of 8810 Marquis Lane in Clinton, was driving a 1995 Ford Ranger pickup on Route 4 just south of Plummer Lane at 2:30 a.m. Oct. 7 when he was struck from behind by a 2000 Chevrolet Malibu. The Malibu drove into a grassy median, but the truck went into a wooded area and struck a tree head-on, police said.

Burdette, with life-threatening injuries, was taken to the trauma center at Prince George's Hospital Center, where he subsequently died of complications from his injuries.

The driver of the Malibu, Sean Kevin Fitzgibbon, 27, of 473 Avon Court in Friendship, suffered minor injuries in the crash.

An investigation indicated speed and alcohol might have been factors, police said. The county State's Attorney's Office would handle any possible charges.

Limits proposed for part-time crabbers

ANNAPOLIS - As promised, the state is moving forward with restrictions on part-time commercial crabbers.

The Department of Natural Resources is proposing making holders of the limited commercial crabber, or LCC, license choose from two options: agree to a males-only harvest and limited options for passing the license to a relative, or agree to a temporary ban on harvesting until the crab population rebounds.

The regulation changes could be in effect for the 2010 crabbing season.

The DNR is targeting LCC licenses because it is a large category, with 3,676 license-holders, a significant number of whom don't regularly use the licenses.

Meanwhile, the state is using federal money to buy LCC licenses and retire them. More than 530 people have sold their licenses back to the state for $2,260 each.

The buyback offer is valid until the $3 million in federal money runs out. State officials say that's enough money to buy a little more than 1,300 licenses.

- From staff reports