|
|
"First we'll survey hospitals and nursing homes and find out who is still in need - in other words, who didn't get the vaccine," said McGarvey.
The flu vaccine will be shipped directly by the CDC to the hospitals and nursing homes identified by state health officials, who will then work with community groups to identify high-risk individuals who have not received flu shots, he said.
"That includes visiting nursing associations, area associations on aging and state health centers. It depends on how much vaccine we have available after working with hospitals and nursing homes," said McGarvey.
The vaccine shortage occurred after contamination caused the license suspension of the Chiron Corp.'s manufacturing plant in Liverpool, England, which was slated to supply 48 million doses to the United States.
McGarvey said Aventis, the other major flu-shot manufacturer, was able to make up the 51,000 doses ordered by the Pennsylvania Health Department from Chiron for state health centers that are expected to eventually receive the 160,000 doses originally ordered. Aventis was able to increase its expected vaccine production from 52 million to 58 million.
McGarvey noted the CDC was also able to save a tremendous amount of vaccine for redistribution because of the private sector's prioritization of flu shots for high-risk individuals only.
"So far, in the state as a whole, about 1.7 million doses have been distributed in Pennsylvania," said McGarvey, including vaccine obtained by private providers.
Currently, 15,000 high-risk Pennsylvanians are on waiting lists at state health centers, including the one in Delaware County at Fifth and Penn streets in Chester.
Delaware County residents can call (610) 447-3250 to be added to the list.
"It doesn't guarantee a vaccination, so we encourage them to call their doctors back or if they hear of any clinics, to go to them," said McGarvey.
As the vaccine becomes available, state health officials call those on the state health center's high-risk waiting list. They can receive the shot for $5 or for free, depending on income.
"We can't guarantee them a shot, but we'll try," said McGarvey.
Delaware County Intercommunity Health Coordinator Maureen Hennessey Herman said most of the local flu-shot clinics, sponsored by private venues such as grocery and drug stores, were canceled after Chiron's license suspension was announced in early October.
"We have been fielding phone calls for over a month," said Hennessey Herman of people looking for flu shots.
McGarvey noted there are more than three million Pennsylvanians in high-risk categories, including those over the age of 65, under the age of 2, or with chronic medical conditions.
"Not all those high-risk people get shots every year, but just look at the numbers, 1.7 million plus 340,000 (flu shots), that's not going to get you over three million," noted McGarvey.
While doctors have reported patients with influenza-like symptoms such as high temperatures and body aches, none have been confirmed as flu.
"We'll see our first case of flu soon," predicted McGarvey. He noted that flu season usually begins around the end of November and peaks in mid-January or February, but it is variable. The last flu season peaked early at the beginning of January 2004.
"Hopefully, there will not be a different impact than in previous years," said McGarvey, who noted the impact is bad enough with about 36,000 people dying nationwide annually from the flu.
