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Flu Vaccine Now Available for Low-Income Children

Posted on: Wednesday, 12 October 2005, 12:00 CDT

By Dann Denny, Herald-Times, Bloomington, Ind.

Oct. 11--Flu vaccine is now available at Southern Indiana Pediatrics for children of low-income families covered by Hoosier Healthwise.

Sandy DeWeese, chief operating officer for Southern Indiana Pediatrics, was told late Monday by the Indiana State Medical Association that her group and other Hoosier physicians could use their private stock of flu vaccine to vaccinate Hoosier Healthwise children.

The vaccine the state has been expected to ship to doctors' offices for

the low-income children hadn't arrived as of Monday, even though the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends vaccinations for young children starting Oct. 1. The state's vaccine and the doctors' private stock are the same medication.

Sara Murphy of the Indiana State Medical Association told DeWeese that Southern Indiana Pediatrics could use its private flu vaccine stock, then bill Medicaid contractors for reimbursement. A Medicaid contractor could be a health department, primary-care physician, nurse practitioner, etc.

DeWeese said this means her group's pediatricians can immediately begin giving flu vaccine to high-risk children (those ages 6 months to 23 months and those with chronic medical conditions) within the Oct. 1-24 time frame recommended by the CDC.

Vaccines for Children is a federal program that pays for the Indiana State Department of Health to buy and distribute flu vaccines and other immunizations to Indiana children younger than 19 who are uninsured or on Medicaid.

DeWeese said Southern Indiana Pediatrics has 1,800 doses of flu vaccine in its private stock, and expects to receive another 2,200 in the weeks ahead.

In addition, the group has received 600 doses of FluMist, a nasal spray vaccine that is recommended for people ages 5 through 49 who don't have certain medical conditions, such as asthma.

"We really appreciate people addressing this issue because it's about health care for kids," DeWeese said. "And we hope to be able to work with the State Health Department to find a long-range solution."

DeWeese said that during the nine days that her group had no flu vaccine for Vaccines for Children-eligible children, parents of Hoosier Healthwise children were growing increasingly concerned.

"They were worried that there would not be any vaccine for their kids at all this year," she said. "But some parents with private insurance called us and said they would be willing to buy flu vaccine for children who couldn't afford it."

Meanwhile, Bloomington Hospital's Community Health Services expects to get its first shipment of flu vaccine within the next few days.

If the shipment does arrive, Community Health Services will begin offering flu shots to high-risk individuals from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 17, and continue offering shots to high-risk people from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, through Oct. 23.

CHS will offer flu shots to everyone from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 24-28. After Oct. 28, CHS will offer flu shots to everyone from 8 a.m. to noon, Monday through Friday.

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Copyright (c) 2005, Herald-Times, Bloomington, Ind.

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

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Source: Herald-Times

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