State Begins Receiving H1N1 Vaccine, Local Delivery ‘Imminent’

 

By John Voket

Governor M. Jodi Rell announced October 8 that an initial shipment of more than 20,000 doses of the intranasal H1N1 vaccine has begun to arrive in the state and another 20,000 doses, which will include the injectable variety, are due in Connecticut next week.

“These first doses will help us begin protecting those most at risk — our children,” Gov Rell said. “Pediatricians are among the first to receive these doses and we are very encouraged that much more of the vaccine is on the way to protect every member of the family.”

The vaccine is being distributed directly to those providers who have placed orders with the state Department of Public Health. Locally, Health District Director Donna Culbert believes her delivery of a limited number of nasal H1N1 vaccine doses is imminent.

Ahead of that, Ms Culbert is strongly advising residents to get their seasonal flu shot now, to start protection from seasonal flu. And when it becomes available to those who qualify, H1N1 vaccination will also be encouraged. 

Since that H1N1 vaccine will be arriving, initially, in limited quantity, there is a priority list for those who should receive the H1N1 flu vaccine first. The priority H1N1 vaccine recipients are:

* Pregnant women

* Household contacts and caregivers of children less than 6 months old

* Health care and emergency personnel

* Young children and adults aged 6 months to 24 years of age

* Persons aged 25 though 64 years who have medical conditions that put them at higher risk for influenza-related complications

Ms Culbert said that there has even been an establishment of priority in a subset of persons within the initial target groups above for the limited amount of H1N1 flu mist vaccine.

The local health district’s first shipments of flu mist will be distributed in accordance with state DPH guidance which targets health care and emergency personnel who have direct patient contact, household contacts and caregivers of infants 6 months or younger, and healthy young children 2 through 4 years of age first.

“It is important to note that it is expected that there will be a sufficient supply of H1N1 vaccine in the coming weeks and months, and ultimately everyone who wants to be vaccinated will be,” Ms Culbert told The Newtown Bee this week.

The state expects to receive more than 500,000 doses of both the injectable and intranasal H1N1 vaccines by mid-October and then several thousand more in weekly shipments thereafter.

The intranasal vaccine is federally approved for healthy people 2 to 49 years of age, but is most effective in children. The second round of vaccine, which will include the injectable vaccine, will expand the priority groups to include pregnant women and people under the age of 18 with high-risk medical conditions.

“People who belong to these priority groups should contact their health care provider to find if their provider will be getting the vaccine. If somebody does not have a health care provider or if their provider is not getting the vaccine, they should call the H1N1 Hotline at 800-830-9426,” DPH Commissioner Dr J. Robert Galvin said. “It is important that people understand that the vaccine is just now beginning to arrive into the state and we expect to receive more vaccine every week. People may need to be patient and persistent to get the vaccine in these early rounds of vaccine supply.”

At the governor’s direction, DPH has set up a number of outlets for the public and providers to get information on the vaccine: H1N1 hotline – 800-830-9426 or www.ct.gov/ctfluwatch

Doctors and other health care providers interested in registering with the DPH to place orders for the vaccine can get information at www.ct.gov/ctfluwatch/providers or call 860-509-7929.

The H1N1 vaccine is only effective against the H1N1 virus and does not protect against seasonal influenza. Public health officials also encourage Connecticut residents to get their seasonal flu vaccination, as well as the H1N1 vaccination.

The Newtown Health District, said Ms Colbert, is “working closely with the Connecticut Department of Public Health, the health care providers in our area, the hospitals, the Visiting Nurses Associations, and the schools to monitor the occurrence of the flu in our community; to educate residents on how they can protect themselves and to obtain a vaccination when they are available.”