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POSTED: Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2009

Whatcom County swine flu clinics rescheduled for high priority groups

Public health officials have rescheduled two mass clinics for next week for those listed as top priorities for receiving the H1N1 flu vaccine, but their exact locations in Bellingham and Deming will be released only to callers making appointments.

"The reason is to not be overwhelmed at the site," said Joe Bates, spokesman for Whatcom County government.

The clinics are set for Oct. 28 in Bellingham and Oct. 29 in Deming. They are open only to those in high priority groups who live, work or go to school in Whatcom County.

Public health officials also are requiring those who want to receive the vaccine to set up an appointment by contacting a call center that opened at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 21.

Appointments will be accepted until slots have been filled.

Demand is high because callers already were jamming the call center's lines soon after it opened, with Bates saying the wait to set up an appointment was over an hour.

"They're just overwhelmed," Bates said, advising patients to stay on the line if they wanted to get into the clinics.

Pre-registration also ensures that those at highest risk should they contract swine flu are served first, officials said.

Previous clinics that had been scheduled were canceled earlier this week because manufacturers were taking longer than expected to make the vaccine against what is commonly called the swine flu.

Officials were more certain that the Oct. 28 and Oct. 29 clinics will be a go.

"The vaccine should actually be here today," Bates said Wednesday.

"This is very fluid," he added. "We're pretty certain this (clinic) is going to happen on next Wednesday, as certain as you can be."

The vaccine will be available as a nasal mist and an injection. There may be a small supply of thimerosal-free shots, but public health officials are making no promises because they're not sure how much of it there will be.

"This is all part of the scarcity of the vaccine," Bates said.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said that production delays could mean that some communities will not receive their entire supply of the vaccine until late November.

"We appreciate the community's patience," Bates said.

Appointments for the clinics will be accepted for:

• Pregnant women.

• Health care workers and emergency medical personnel who directly care for patients.

• Household contacts of infants younger than 6 months old, which primarily means parents, siblings and child-care providers.

• Children 6 months through 4 years old.

• Those 5 years to 18 years old with medical conditions that place them at risk for flu complications. Those conditions include asthma, heart disease, immune disorders or neurological conditions.

Once the needs of these groups have been met, the vaccine will be offered next to other health care workers; children and young adults who are 5 years old to 24 years old; and people who are 25 to 64 years old with medical conditions that place them at high risk for flu complications.

The vaccine is free. But those with health insurance should bring insurance cards because an administrative fee may be billed to their provider.

More clinics will be scheduled as the vaccine comes to Whatcom County.

There should be enough vaccine by late November for anyone else who wants it, health officials have said.

SIGN UP FOR FLU VACCINE

Whatcom County residents who are on the priority list to receive the H1N1 vaccine must first set up an appointment by calling 778-8170.

The center will accept calls from 1 to 6 p.m. Oct. 21-24, as well as Oct. 26-27. The call center is closed Sunday, Oct. 25.

Appointments will be accepted until slots have been filled.

Find updated information about clinic schedules and H1N1 at em.whatcomcounty.org, or send an e-mail to pio@em.whatcomcounty.org.