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Wednesday, 23 September 2009 |
By KAREN CAMPBELL
Assistant Managing Editor
As the county plans its first seasonal flu clinic, the Auglaize County Health Department is encouraging anyone to go as a limited amount of the vaccine is available.
The Health Department has received just 35 percent of its seasonal influenza vaccines to date, Health Department Nursing Supervisor Cindy Jones said.
“We don’t know how much more vaccine we will receive or when,” Jones said.
The delay seems to be due to the fact the same manufacturing sites are used for both the seasonal flu and H1N1 vaccines, Jones said. With both in production, there are limited amounts available at a time.
So far, just one countywide seasonal flu clinic has been scheduled.
There is no priority level for people to receive the vaccination to be protected but Jones anticipates using the current supply of seasonal flu vaccine during the clinic and no additional being available until the next shipment arrives, which is unknown.
“I think eventually we will receive all that we ordered or have been promised, but we’re probably looking at the end of winter or spring when that may occur,” Jones said. “If people want to be sure they have protection, they need to go as soon as it is available.
“We don’t want those who are high risk not to be able to get the vaccine or have to wait until much later,” she said.
While there is no priority list for the seasonal flu, senior citizens are highly encouraged to seek protection as they are at high risk.
The seasonal flu vaccine will not prevent getting H1N1, for which a separate vaccine is expected to be administered for beginning in late October.
There is a priority list for that vaccine, with pregnant women, those living with and caring for children younger than 6-months old, health care employees with direct patient contact and children 6-months to 4-years old in line to receive that particular vaccine first when it is available.
“We’re not expecting to administer both vaccines together in the near future,” Jones said. “Our staff is going to be very busy with clinics.”
She said both vaccines’ protection levels seem to be effective and clinical trials for the H1N1 look promising.
“We’re going to keep planning clinics as we receive vaccine,” Jones said. “They have told us that they may be coming out in ‘limited percentages,’ but they will not tell us what that is.
“For now, we have to go with what we’ve got and get out protection to as many people as soon as we can,” she said.
Educating the public also remains a top priority, Jones said.
The statewide “Cover your Cough” campaign has switched over to “Fighting the Flu Starts with You,” which recommends getting vaccinated, covering coughs and sneezes, washing hands, avoiding touching eyes, nose and mouth, and staying home if sick, to prevent the spread of both types of flu this season.
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 24 September 2009 )
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