H1N1 vaccine shipments delayed due to slow production, limited
supply
An H1N1 flu clinic tentatively planned for Nov. 17 has been
cancelled due to limited supplies of the H1N1 vaccine in San Benito
County.
The San Benito County Public Health Department is offering the
vaccine by appointment only and has been divvying up some of the
supply it received from the state to local primary care physicians
who are awaiting their own allocations.
H1N1 vaccine shipments delayed due to slow production, limited supply
An H1N1 flu clinic tentatively planned for Nov. 17 has been cancelled due to limited supplies of the H1N1 vaccine in San Benito County.
The San Benito County Public Health Department is offering the vaccine by appointment only and has been divvying up some of the supply it received from the state to local primary care physicians who are awaiting their own allocations.
“The word that we are getting is really the production of the vaccine just across the board has been slower than anticipated,” said Patricia Morales, a public information officer for the local health department. “We are reminding people to remain patient. We think in time anyone who wants it will be able to get it as the vaccine becomes more widely available.”
There have been 4,820 hospitalizations, ICU cases or deaths from H1N1 from April 3 through Oct. 31 statewide, according to California Public Health Department statistics. San Benito County, based on numbers reported as of Sept. 26, has reported eight hospitalizations or ICU cases, but no deaths. The one county resident reported to have died from H1N1 was treated in another county.
The health department staff originally had anticipated offering the H1N1 vaccine for children 2 to 9, pregnant women and household contacts of children six months or younger at the annual seasonal flu clinic Nov. 4. But without a large number of doses, they opted only to offer the seasonal flu vaccine.
More than 3,000 residents were vaccinated against seasonal flu at the event, which also serves as a mass vaccination drill for local health staff and emergency workers.
As for the H1N1 flu vaccine, San Benito County’s public health department and local doctors registered with the state to request doses of the vaccine. As it becomes available, a percentage of each request is fulfilled in each county in California.
The local doses will be given out based on current recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The priority groups include pregnant women, household contacts of infants less than 6 months of age, children between the ages of 5 to 18 years of age that have a chronic medical condition that increases their risk of complications from influenza, and children 6 months to 4 years old (Children 2 to 9 will need to receive two doses of the vaccine at three to four weeks apart.) The priority groups will be broadened as more vaccines become available.
“The guidelines for qualifying to get it will open up,” Morales said.
Due to the limited number of vaccines that are coming into the county at a time, Morales said the public health staff decided the best way to disseminate the vaccine would be through appointments at the public health department and through primary care physicians.
“We called all the primary care physicians that registered to receive [the vaccine] and asked how many doses they had and how many they needed,” Morales said. “We tried to give them a portion of their request.”
One of the benefits of getting the limited vaccine supply to local doctors, Morales said, is that the doctors can identify those patients who meet the criteria of the CDC guidelines and who are most at risk.
“They can ensure that those patients within their practices receive the vaccine,” she said.
The department anticipates that the shipments of H1N1 flu vaccine will continue through the fall and early winter months.
“People are aware there is a shortage so the feedback we’ve been getting is that people are willing to be patient,” she said. “Those that are at a higher risk are put at the front of the line.”
Those interested in receiving an H1N1 flu vaccine should first contact their primary care physician to ask about availability. If it is not available through a primary care physician, individuals in the priority groups can contact the Public Health Department at 637-5367 to schedule an appointment to receive the vaccine.
The symptoms for H1N1 and seasonal flu are the same. They include:
– fever (in some cases)
– cough
– sore throat
– runny or stuffy nose
– body aches
– headache
– chills
– fatigue
Tips to prevent the spread of H1N1 and seasonal flu:
– Stay home when sick to avoid spreading illness.
– Cough or sneeze into your elbow or a tissue.
– Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
