500 got flu shots this week

This week, the Flathead City-County Health Department staff vaccinated 500 more residents at high risk for the flu.

Public health nurse Elaine Sedlack said 800 more people are scheduled for next week from a waiting list of 1,200 people.

Nurses gave shots to an average of 50 people an hour over the last week.

Next week the schedule calls for an average of 75 people per hour. She said staffers worked on their days off, canceled vacations and made telephone calls from home to speed up the process.

"We're still trying to do our regular program," Sedlack said.

Although calls continue to flood in from people seeking vaccine, Sedlack said she expects the department will have enough flu shots to take care of the people remaining on the list.

"We will if we get the additional 500 doses that are supposed to come," she said.

Sedlack said that shipment is still scheduled for Flathead County. Staffers will continue to make appointments until the department runs out of flu shots.

People don't need to worry about missing the telephone call from the department. The staff will set aside a dose and leave a message.

According to Sedlack, the department continues to search for sources of additional vaccine.

She said five people in Missoula have come down with the flu traced to an Alaskan cruise. Two other young adults have tested positive in Missoula who were not on the trip.

One other young adult was confirmed sick with influenza in Gallatin County. According to Sedlack, none of the infected people were reporting severe symptoms.

The nationwide shortage of vaccine was announced Oct. 5 - the same day Flathead County held a mass flu clinic to test its emergency response plan. Nearly 3,000 people were vaccinated in that clinic.

The shortage was triggered when a major flu vaccine manufacturer in Great Britain had its license suspended.

As a result, Lake County's health department, North Valley Hospital and many private providers received no vaccine. Flathead County health officials organized a program to distribute its remaining vaccine.

The department requested that people call 751-8110 if they meet the Centers for Disease Control standards as being at high risk for severe complications of the flu. Private physicians also provided names of their priority patients.

Appointments were scheduled to avoid making these ill and elderly people wait in line at a clinic or have others wait and find out they didn't qualify for a flu shot.

Reporter Candace Chase may be reached at 758-4436 or by e-mail at cchase@dailyinterlake.com