News - Local News

POSTED: Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2009

H1N1 vaccine still slow in coming to Whatcom County

Whatcom County residents who don't fall into the priority groups for receiving the H1N1 vaccine might have to wait past December to get their dose because supplies likely will remain limited in the coming months.

The Bellingham Herald talked to local and state public health officials recently about the availability of the vaccine, which is taking longer to make than expected, and other issues surrounding the pandemic.

So far, the vaccine against what is commonly known as the swine flu has been given only to a priority group that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said should be the first to get it.

Interview responses came from Dr. Greg Stern, Whatcom County's health officer; Terry Hinz, assistant director for Whatcom County Health Department; and Tim Church, spokesman for Washington state Department of Health.

How much of the H1N1 vaccine has been shipped to Whatcom County?

The county had received 22,500 doses as of Monday, Nov. 16, all that has been ordered to date, Hinz said.

More doses are coming, but the supply is unpredictable.

"At this time, we anticipate receiving 2,000 to 4,000 doses per week, but we know for sure only about a week before it is shipped, and the proportion of the various types of vaccine vary," Stern said.

Added Church: "The number's never the same from week to week."

How has the vaccine been disseminated in Whatcom County to date?

So far, about 8,300 doses had been distributed at mass clinics and at the county Health Department, including 1,500 set aside for the vaccination clinic Saturday, Nov. 14, in Bellingham.

The remaining doses have been distributed through medical provider offices and St. Joseph Hospital, Hinz said.

How much of the vaccine has been shipped to Washington state?

More than 790,000 doses either have been shipped to the state or are in the process of being shipped, Church said Monday, Nov. 16.

The federal government allocates the free vaccine based on population. The total allocated for Washington state, as of Monday, was 936,000 doses, although that number continues to climb each week.

"We continue to order it as fast as we're told it's available to order," Church said.

How much is it costing to respond to H1N1 locally?

"It is costing a lot to respond to this pandemic," Hinz said. "We have received approximately $600,000 in federal funding to plan our response and carry out vaccinations within Whatcom County."

Who can get the vaccine now?

Supplies of the vaccine have increased, but it's still only available to:

• Pregnant women.

• Health-care providers and emergency responders.

• Those who live with or care for children younger than 6 months old. Children this young cannot be vaccinated.

• Everyone who is 6 months to 24 years old.

• People who are 25 to 64 years old with medical conditions that place them at high risk for complications from the flu. Those conditions include asthma, heart disease, immune disorders or neurological conditions.

The vaccine was reserved for an even smaller group when officials put on the first vaccination clinics in Whatcom County beginning in late October.

For example, the vaccine was available only to healthy children 6 months to 4 years old, and children who were 5 years old to 18 could get the vaccine if they had medical conditions that placed them at risk for flu complications.

Why were priority groups selected?

They are the people who are most likely to contract the H1N1 flu or have medical conditions that increase their risk of complications from it, Stern said. The vaccine also is being given to health-care workers, emergency responders, and those who care for infants too young to be vaccinated to prevent them from spreading it to those in the highest-risk groups.

"Given that the need for vaccine exceeds the supply," Stern said, "we ask that those who are not in the priority group wait and let those at higher risk go first."

Why can't people older than 64 get the vaccine yet?

"Although older people are more likely to die from influenza if they are sick enough to be hospitalized, fewer are susceptible to infection," Stern said.

When will the vaccine become widely available to anyone who wants it?

"We just started offering the vaccine to the full CDC priority group last week, after having restricted it to the CDC recommended highest-priority group," Stern said.

The full group consists of about half the population of Whatcom County.

"Once the priority group has had an opportunity to get the vaccine, and we see that fewer of them are requesting the vaccine or responding to outreach, we will open vaccination up to everyone who wants it," Stern said. "That is unlikely to happen this month, and may not happen in December."

What tips can you offer to people who are traveling by plane, train or bus during Thanksgiving and other holidays?

Stern said there are a number of steps people can take to reduce their risk of picking up respiratory infections, including the flu. Flu is passed through droplets from coughing, sneezing and runny noses. His advice:

• Wash hands or use hand sanitizer frequently, especially after touching surfaces and knobs that could be contaminated with the virus.

• Avoid touching your nose, mouth or eyes before washing your hands.

• Try to stay more than 3 to 6 feet from someone who is coughing or sneezing, to decrease your chances of picking up the virus.

• Wear glasses or sunglasses to protect your eyes.

• If you think you'll be sitting next to someone who is coughing or sneezing, carry a simple paper mask and use it to protect your mouth and nose from droplets - or ask the sick person to wear it.

People who are getting sick should cancel their travel plans to avoid passing the virus to others.

"If they can't cancel, they should do what they can to avoid spreading influenza to others," Stern said.

Whatcom County's last weekly influenza report indicated that the second wave of H1N1 flu illness is waning. Do you expect another spike after people travel over the Thanksgiving holiday?

"We are preparing for another wave but cannot predict when it may occur, or whether seasonal influenza H3N2 or influenza B may show up," Stern said.

There have been sporadic reports of seasonal H1N1, H3N2, and B throughout the country, according to CDC laboratory surveillance.

"Travel increases the chance of re-introducing a virus into the community, and Thanksgiving or Christmas holiday travel may trigger a third wave," Stern said.

Whatcom County residents can expect infection rates to go in spurts.

"Eventually, most of the population will develop immunity to the 2009 H1N1, either by being vaccinated or by recovering from infection," he said. " Until enough people have been vaccinated or been infected with it, and immunity is fairly widespread, waves will continue to pass through the community."

LEARN MORE

• Dr. Greg Stern, Whatcom County health officer, and other public health professionals at the County Health Department will answer your questions about seasonal and swine flu at our Swine Flu Q&A.

• Whatcom Pandemic Joint Information Center: em.whatcomcounty.org.

• Information compiled by the federal government, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: flu.gov.

• Washington State Department of Health: doh.wa.gov.