Health office sets up plan for scarce flu shots
Public health nurse Elaine Sedlack said 1,000 doses will go to dialysis patients, pregnant women, and residents of nursing homes and assisted-living facilities.
By CANDACE CHASE
The Daily Inter Lake
Flathead City-County Health Department staffers announced a plan Tuesday to distribute a shipment of 3,000 doses of flu vaccine.
Public health nurse Elaine Sedlack said 1,000 doses will go to dialysis patients, pregnant women, and residents of nursing homes and assisted-living facilities.
The department has set aside 500 doses for Lake County's health department, which received no flu vaccine this year. Sedlack said the county's shortage was compounded when a local hospital received no vaccine.
North Valley Hospital will receive 100 doses for health-care workers with direct patient contact.
The health department will use the remaining vaccine to immunize high-risk patients on lists compiled from private health-care providers and from people calling the health department.
After eliminating duplicate names, Sedlack said the staff will begin calling people at the end of the week to schedule flu-shot appointments.
"We're not going to do any public clinics," Sedlack said.
Appointments for immunizations will begin next week. Sedlack said people will be scheduled based on their degree of risk and the order in which their call was received.
Since the flu vaccine shortage was announced, hundreds of people at risk for flu complications have called the health department at 751-8110 to place their names on a waiting list for vaccinations.
"We've received 600 calls from high risk people and it's rising by the minute," Sedlack said Tuesday.
She said people shouldn't panic if they don't receive a call back immediately. Sedlack said it will take several weeks to schedule everyone and to administer the flu shots.
Normally, she said, flu season doesn't start in the Flathead Valley until late November and sometimes not until after Christmas. Vaccinations take about two weeks to offer full protection.
She also said people at risk for flu complications should consider getting a pneumonia vaccination during one of the regularly scheduled clinics. The department has no shortage of these $20 immunizations.
Health officials recommend one pneumonia shot before age 65 for high-risk people and another at age 65 to maintain protection. Medicare Part B will pay for the shot.
Sedlack said Tuesday the priority list of people for flu shots was altered slightly in consultation with Dr. Wallace Wilder, the department's medical adviser.
One of the priority groups was narrowed to include people in contact with children under 6 months with medical conditions or who were born prematurely.
Other priority groups include:
. Adults 65 or older.
. Children ages 6 to 23 months.
. People over 2 years old with chronic medical conditions or weakened immune systems.
. Women who will be pregnant during flu season.
. Residents of nursing-care and long-term-care facilities.
. Children 6 months to 18 years old on chronic aspirin therapy.
. Health-care workers with direct patient care.
Sedlack said she wanted to continue to emphasize "careful, thorough and frequent" hand washing as a preventive measure for containing the spread of influenza.
"If you work in a public setting, disinfect the counters often," she said. "If you're sick, stay home and prevent the spread of flu to your co-workers and classmates."
Reporter Candace Chase may be reached at 758-4436 or by e-mail at cchase@dailyinterlake.com.