Priorities set for H1N1 vaccine
Only a low number of doses are available

By Larry Meyer
Argus Observer
Saturday, October 10, 2009 11:01 PM PDT

ONTARIO — Health care workers slated to vaccinate people and health district staff will be the first to get the FluMist vaccine for H1N1.

That’s the message delivered recently by Southwest District Health spokesperson Laurie Boston. Southwest District Health serves six southwest Idaho counties and received 500 doses of the FluMist, Boston said.

However, the low number of overall doses forced officials to use it only on targeted groups, such as health care workers.

“We want to make sure the health workers are protected,” she said.

Any FluMist remaining will be provided to family practice clinics, Boston said.

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“It’s essentially for healthy people 2 to 49 years-old,” Boston said, referring to the FluMist, and, with only 500 doses, the vaccine could go fast. That is another reason why mist vaccine will not be available to the general public.

Anyone who has any kind of heart, liver or lung disease, diabetes or other long-term illness cannot take the FluMist vaccine, nor can any pregnant women.

“We will make sure everyone is notified when it (injection vaccine) is available,” Boston said.

The shots will be available starting sometime after the middle of the month, but it depends when more shipments come in, she said.

“We have plenty of seasonal flu vaccine,” Penny Walters, director of the Malheur County Health Department, said, adding the department had received its full order.

The department received 300 doses of the FluMist for H1N1, but those doses and the next expected delivery of 350 doses will be administered to health care workers and household contacts of health care workers who are in a priority group. Pregnant women will be a part of the second phase, in about two weeks.

While arrival of the H1N1 vaccine may seem slow, Walters said, “We will have up 18,000 doses of H1N1 vaccine.” That number was determined by state officials, based on the number of estimated people in the priority groups, she said.  

“People are asking a lot of questions,” she said, but she has not had anyone saying they would refuse to be inoculated.

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