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October 21, 2009

Coming up short

Health officials to likely target high-risk groups

By Becky Manley / Staff Writer

Health officials will eventually receive enough H1N1 and seasonal influenza vaccine to meet public demand.

However, current supplies of the vaccine for the H1N1 influenza strain, commonly called swine flu, are limited and shortages will likely continue until mid-November.

County health officials in Knox, Laurel and Whitley counties said Tuesday they are also out of the seasonal flu vaccine although more has been ordered.

All three counties said they received limited supplies of the H1N1 nasal mist and injectable vaccines. Health officials in each of those counties opted to target health care workers for vaccination.

Gail Timperio, public health director for Whitley County Health Department, said without the vaccinations, the medical community could become overwhelmed should the pandemic worsen — leaving health care workers ill and unable to work. Health care workers are also among the high-risk groups targeted for vaccination by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“We’re trying to follow as closely as we can to the CDC guidelines,” Timperio said.

Vaccinating health care providers first also familiarizes them with the process of dispensing the H1N1 vaccine to the public, Timperio said.

When sufficient quantities of the H1N1 vaccine become available, Laurel County health officials will likely target for vaccination other high-risk groups. These groups include children and young adults ages six months to 24 years, pregnant women and those with chronic health conditions ages 25 to 64, according to Rebecca Feger, public health preparedness coordinator and pandemic flu coordinator for the Laurel County Health Department.

All three counties are preparing for mass vaccination clinics, health officials said. Those vaccinations will be offered during extended weekday or Saturday hours at county health clinics. Vaccinations will also likely be dispensed at schools as well as through private providers.

This week, Knox County schools distributed permission slips to parents and guardians along with information about the H1N1 vaccine.

Schools in both Knox and Whitley counties were closed earlier this month due to high absentee rates.

Despite current shortages, health officials in all three counties emphasized that both H1N1 and seasonal flu vaccinations will eventually be available to all members of the public seeking them.

Timperio said the public should turn to media outlets and the Whitley County Health Department’s Web site for updates.

“We will try to get that word out and I feel sure we’ll have a lot of takers,” Timperio said.

General information about the H1N1 influenza can be obtained 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily by calling 1-877-843-7727. The state offers information about the H1N1 and seasonal flu at healthalerts.ky.gov or follow KYHealthAlerts on Twitter. Whitley County residents can learn about scheduled vaccination clinics at www.whitleycountyhealthdepartment.com. Knox County residents can call that county’s health department 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays at 546-3486.

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