Flu shots on honor system
With the flu vaccine in short supply, health workers giving immunizations will rely on the public’s honesty this flu season.
Federal health officials have recommended that the vaccine be reserved for those at highest risk of flu complications. In many instances, people fitting the criteria will be obvious: Children 6 to 23 months and those older than 65, for instance.
There are several not-so-obvious groups in the high-risk category, though, including kids ages 6 months to 18 years who are on aspirin therapy; and people ages 2 to 64 who have chronic medical conditions, such as heart disease or asthma.
“We’ll go on the honor system that people aren’t making up they have an underlying disease,” said Chris Valentine, a Memorial Hospital spokesman.
Memorial, which ordered and received 22,500 doses of Aventis vaccine, on Wednesday released a revamped flushot clinic listing, with the first clinic being held today. All clinics are reserved for those who fit the definition of “high risk,” Valentine said.
“Right now, this is just preventive,” Valentine said. “This could be an easy flu season.”
Last year, an influenza outbreak sickened thousands of Coloradans and led to a nationwide vaccine shortage.
The El Paso County Department of Health and Environment, the Visiting Nurse Association and Penrose-St. Francis have canceled all clinics, according to officials with each agency. VNA and Penrose were relying on a vaccine shipment from manufacturer Chiron, but that company’s vaccine-producing factory was shut down Tuesday because of manufacturing problems.
Those agencies, along with Memorial Hospital officials, met Wednesday morning to coordinate a new flu-clinic schedule and to ensure that everyone agreed to follow vaccine distribution guidelines recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Memorial now has the biggest vaccine supply among the agencies; the Health Department has 500 doses and Penrose gave out about 800 Aventis shots in two clinics Tuesday, before the nationwide shortage was announced. VNA has no vaccine.
Kandi Buckland, director of personal and preventive health for the Health Department, said she plans to survey nursing homes, which generally order vaccine each year, and physicians’ offices to get a sense of how much vaccine — aside from Memorial’s supply — is in the community. She said she then will work to ensure that excess vaccine is distributed to high-risk groups.
Buckland said she hopes healthy people will follow the CDC’s advice and forgo even trying to get a flu shot.
“We hope people are honest and upfront and realize that people who do have these highrisk conditions potentially could become extremely ill from the flu,” she said. “We just hope people will understand that and do the right thing.”
Aside from the new flu-shot clinics scheduled by Memorial Hospital, flu shots are available at Walgreens drugstores and King Soopers grocery stores.
“We have thousands of doses in the system now,” said Joel Giles, clinical care coordinator for King Soopers stores in Colorado. He declined to be more specific, but he did say King Soopers ordered its entire supply from Aventis.
King Soopers is taking appointments for flu shots, but only for high-risk people ages 9 and older. Those who don’t meet the criteria, even with an appointment, will be turned away, Giles said.
A statement dated Wednesday on Walgreens.com reads: “Due to this year's flu vaccine shortage, Walgreens will only provide flu shots to people at high risk for flu complications.”
State health officials are encouraging people to take precautions to avoid the flu.
“We advise people to be thoughtful this year as far as taking preventive health measures such as hand-washing, covering your cough or sneeze, staying home from school or work if you’re sick,” said Lori Maldonado, spokeswoman for the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
HIGH-RISK GROUPS
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends these high-risk groups receive the flu vaccine: c All children 6-23 months old c Adults 65 and older c People ages 2-64 years with underlying chronic medical conditions c Women who will be pregnant during influenza season
- Residents of nursing home and long-term care facilities
- Children age 6 months to 18 years on chronic aspirin therapy
- Health-care workers providing direct patient care
- Out-of-home caregivers and household contacts of children younger than 6 months
