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Health Department Ready With Flu Shots: Vaccine to Be Available to High Risk Groups Until Oct. 24 When It Will Be Offered to General Public

Posted on: Friday, 7 October 2005, 00:00 CDT

By KRIS WISE

Who needs shots?

The Kanawha-Charleston Health Department will be giving the flu vaccine first to high-risk groups until Oct. 24. At high risk for flu are: * People 65 years and older with or without long-term health problems. * Residents of long-term care facilities. * Infants and toddlers 6-23 months old. * People 2-64 years old with long- term health problems. * Pregnant women * Health-care personnel, homecare givers and people in contact with infants under 6 months.

Vaccine scheduling

After Oct. 24, the flu vaccine will be available to the general public. People can go to the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department offices at 108 Lee Street East during normal operating hours, but may have to wait to get a shot. The best time to get a shot is during flu clinics, which operate from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the following locations: Saturday: (for high-risk groups) Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church in Elkview Oct. 11: (for high-risk groups) Kanawha- Charleston Health Department Oct. 18: (for high-risk groups) Kanawha- Charleston Health Department Oct. 22: (for high-risk groups) East Bank Middle School Oct. 26: (for children only) Kanawha-Charleston Health Department Nov. 1: (for children only) Kanawha-Charleston Health Department Nov. 5: Sissonville High School Nov. 8: Charleston Civic Center and the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department Nov. 15- 16: Capitol Complex Nov. 19: Maranatha Church Activities building in St. Albans Nov. 22: Kanawha-Charleston Health Department Nov. 29: (follow-up doses for children) Kanawha-Charleston Health Department Dec. 6: (follow-up doses for children) Kanawha-Charleston Health Department

DAILY MAIL CAPITOL REPORTER

The Kanawha-Charleston Health Department has started administering flu shots, and officials are expecting a smoother flu season this year than last.

Just as many people might get sick, but the shortage of vaccines that struck the world last winter isn't supposed to happen again.

"So far our supplier isn't giving us any indication there's going to be a problem, and right now our manufacturers are telling us everything is on track," said Dr. Kerry Gateley, executive director of the health department.

The department started giving flu shots to high-risk groups this past weekend. Rather than administering the vaccine just at its office on Lee Street in Charleston, health officials are traveling around the county this year to give the shots.

The moving flu clinics are supposed to alleviate parking problems at the department's crowded offices downtown.

Clinics will be held everywhere from the Charleston Civic Center and the Capitol Complex to churches and schools in Elkview and St. Albans.

Greater access to the vaccine this year should help prevent people from waiting until flu season is in full swing to get a shot.

"The problems we had last year really arose at the very last minute," Gateley said. "We don't see any need this year for people to waste time. They need to do it sooner rather than later."

Flu season officially began Oct. 1, and officials say they start seeing cases increase in late October and early November. The number of patients usually peaks in January or February.

Health department workers were at Lippert Terrace in Kanawha City Tuesday giving the vaccines to senior citizens, considered one of the groups most at-risk for contracting the flu virus.

For some segments of the population - the youngest, the oldest and the already ill - some strains of the virus can prove deadly.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have asked county health centers to administer the vaccines only to those high-risk groups until Oct. 24 to make sure that vaccine supplies last. After that, anyone who wants a shot can get one.

As of last month, the centers released a statement that, "Because of the uncertainties regarding production of influenza vaccine, the exact number of available doses and timing of vaccine distribution for the 2005-06 influenza season remain unknown."

At least four manufacturers of the vaccine are supposed to release at least 89 million doses in the United States this fall and winter.

Last year, at least 50 million doses from one of those suppliers, Chiron Inc., had to be pulled off the market after federal regulators found contamination at the company's British plant.

So far this year, the Food and Drug Administration still hasn't signed off on Chiron's vaccine distribution plan.

Doctors in some parts of the Midwest already are reporting they've either run out of early flu shot supplies or haven't received their vaccine orders yet.

Gateley said last week Kanawha County should have enough supplies for the season.

In the first few minutes of the flu shot clinic Tuesday in Kanawha City, at least 50 seniors showed up for vaccines.

The cost for an adult dose is $25 this year. Prices vary for children.

Contact writer Kris Wise at kris wise@dailymail.com or 348-1244.

Source: Charleston Daily Mail

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