Jackson County Allotment Expected By Mid-Month
Federal, state, and local officials were on hand at Wishard’s Lockefield Village in Indianapolis on Monday to see the first doses of the 2009 H1N1 Influenza A vaccine being given to Hoosiers. Health care providers and emergency medical services workers from Wishard Health Services received doses of the live, attenuated nasal mist form of the H1N1 flu vaccine.
According to State Health Commissioner Judy Monroe, M.D., the live, attenuated nasal mist form of the vaccine is only recommended for healthy, non-pregnant people aged 2 to 49 years
Dr. Monroe says a substantial supply of both the nasal and the injectable forms of the H1N1 flu vaccine is expected to be available in mid-October. At that time, health officials will be targeting those groups who are at highest risk to get the H1N1 flu vaccine first, including:
•Pregnant women;
•Children from 6 months to 24 years;
•People living with or caring for children under 6 months of age;
•Individuals from 25 to 64 years of age with underlying chronic conditions or who are immune compromised; and
•Health care providers and emergency medical services workers.
Lyn Montgomery, Jackson County Public Health Coordinator, said the Jackson County’s allotment of the nasal mist was determined by the state based on the county’s 42,000 population.
“The first round of doses for H1N1 is serve about 8,000 residents; a very small percentage of the population,” said Montgomery.
Locally the first doses of the nasal mist are expected within the first two weeks of October.
“As soon as the vaccine arrives we will be scheduling several clinics to administer the nasal mist,” Montgomery said.
She tried to calm any hysteria concerning H1N1, otherwise known as Swine Flu, by noting that seasonal flu is more of a killer than has H1N1.
“We are hearing of a few deaths from H1N1 but a number of people who report flu-like symptoms from H1N1 are back to normal within a week by taking over the counter medications. But remember, seasonal flu is responsible for the deaths of 36,000 annually across the U.S.,” she said. “It is more important to receive a seasonal flue inoculation.”
