Vaccine shortage hinders battle with pandemic flu

By DAVID J. COEHRS

Expositor Features Editor

If you're waiting for swine flu shots to become available, you'll be waiting a while longer.

If you're waiting for a seasonal flu shot, don't hold your breath.

That's the word from the Fulton County Health Department, which has been flooded with calls concerning the pandemic flu. What limited supply of swine flu vaccine it has in stock is being held strictly for target groups. And because fighting the more nefarious swine flu has become the top priority, seasonal flu vaccine has fallen by the wayside.

"People in the field are making the assumption that what they're seeing is swine flu. It seems to be the dominant flu at this time," said Mike Oricko, county health commissioner.

The health department has been out of seasonal flu vaccine for a couple of weeks. County health officials are hopeful more children's vaccine will be received, but adult inoculations are gone until next year's flu season.

More seasonal flu vaccine was ordered this year, but heightened public awareness and a shortage of 500 doses by the distributor left the health department empty-handed more quickly than planned.

There is a limited amount of swine flu vaccine in both mist and injectable form. But the frequency and quantity of deliveries has remained elusive. For the past several weeks, the health department has received small batches it has limited to those in susceptible categories.

Targeted groups include pregnant women, people in households with children under six months of age, children age 6 months to 24 years, people age 25 to 64 with underlying health conditions and health care workers who have frequent contact with the public.

"Unfortunately, we don't know until it's delivered how much we're going to get or what kind we're going to get," Oricko said. "Those particular groups are chosen for priority because they're most likely to suffer serious effects if they get it."

Given time, Oricko said, an ample supply of swine flu vaccine will become available. For now those who qualify should make an appointment, since the health department has been inundated with requests - more than 100 on Monday alone.

Four confirmed cases of swine flu have been reported in Fulton County since spring. The latest, a six-year-old child, was verified Oct. 30 through an area physician's office.

However, the official number is deceptive because, as with any pandemic illness, most cases aren't confirmed through lab testing, Oricko said.

The Fulton County Health Center has been out of seasonal flu vaccine for a month, with no idea when more will be shipped. Inoculations began in early September, and 460 were administered before supplies ran out.

Two hundred H1N1 injections have been delivered through Sanofi Pasteur, Inc., a Pennsylvania distributor, according to Lynn Thourot, director of the Occupational Medicine Department. They have been limited to FCHC health care workers.

"We've been very fortunate here to get at least 200 injections. Other places haven't gotten any," Thourot said.

The seasonal flu vaccine isn't being released because "all of their attention is on the H1N1" she said. "We're just like the health department. We have no idea when it will be released."

Although most swine flu cases are manageable, it's important to remain cautious, Oricko warned.

"Be aware. If you're the caregiver for someone who has the flu, watch them. Most cases have proven to be fairly mild. Unfortunately, sometimes it isn't," Oricko said.

Preventative steps include frequent hand-washing, covering coughs and staying home if sick.

"A lot has to do with just using common sense," Oricko said. "If it's mild, stay home. If you have trouble breathing, or if a child is not responding or is having other serious effects from it, see a physician."

The health department is placing announcements about flu shot clinics in local newspapers, on local radio and on its Web site.