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Houston County still waiting for its share of the H1N1 vaccine
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By Charlie Warner
Argus News Editor
“This certainly wasn’t the way we were envisioning this. We began planning for an H1N1 outbreak in April. Earlier this fall we set up in-school vaccination clinics and planned to have all of the school aged kids vaccinated in November. As of today (Thursday) we haven’t even received any vaccinations. Winona and Fillmore counties have. But we haven’t. I really don’t understand why,” said Houston County Public Health Nursing Director Deb Rock.
Rock went on to state that the county was forced to postpone the clinics until they receive doses of the vaccine. She did report the county had received nasal doses that were offered to all EMS personnel, as well as any daycare providers who were interested.
“We had a number of daycare providers come to our clinic, but it wasn’t a real rush of persons coming in for that clinic,” Rock noted.
Monday morning Rock reported her office had received an email from the state which indicated Houston County Public Health would be receiving 400 doses within two to seven days.
Rock added that according to the state, medical facilities located in Houston County have received enough doses to vaccinate about 12 percent of the population. Statewide, that figure is about five percent.
Last Friday one of the private clinics, Franciscan Skemp in Caledonia received some mist and vaccine doses. According to Patient Care Director Michelle Johnson, at the present time persons who are Franciscan Skemp patients, or who register at the Caledonia office and fit the criteria will be eligible for the doses. The criteria for vaccine in shot form is children six months to four years old, pregnant women, persons over 55 who live in a home where there are infants or small children. Persons up to 24 years of age and adults living in a home where infants and small children are present, are eligible for the dose in mist form.
Johnson added that persons who are eligible for the mist dose will not be given the dose in shot form.
With the ebb and flow of the H1N1 outbreak, so goes the demand. Mary Thompson of Public Health Nursing told the county board last Tuesday that she had been part of a teleconference with other nurses throughout the Southeast Minnesota region. A colleague from Dodge County reported the morning they were to hold a flu shot clinic, a group of residents from the Twin Cities area was lined up at the doorsteps at 6:30 a.m. The flu shot clinic was scheduled for 10 a.m.
Thompson added their office has been receiving calls from persons living in the Twin Cities checking to see if Houston County had any flu doses. She also said she had heard that some medical institutions are charging administrative fees, up to $38, for H1N1 vaccinations.
“So far the state has received 400,000 doses,” Rock reported last week, “with another 600,000 doses expected sometime in November. There is a real shortage.” And at times, because of the shortage, there has been panic.
Thompson explained to the county board that with the H1N1, children will need two doses, spaced about four weeks apart. If the county doesn’t receive any doses in the next week or two, the second dose won’t be able to be administered until right before the Christmas break at school. And if the county doesn’t receive any doses until the end of November, children won’t get their second doses until after the Christmas break.
Once the county does receive H1N1 doses, infants to age four, pregnant women, parents with small children and healthcare workers will be on the top of the priority list.
“There are real peaks and valleys in something like this,” Rock went on to explain. “We saw a peak in Houston County the last week in October. Right now we are in the downward side of it, but that can change at any time.”
Checking with the local school district, officials reported two weeks ago nearly 100 students were out sick at Caledonia Area Middle School/High School. Whether it was H1N1, the regular flu, colds or strep throat, school officials weren’t sure. Things have improved however, as about half as many students were absent this past week.
“Most places aren’t testing for H1N1 unless a person is very sick,” Rock said. “The treatment for H1N1 is the same as for regular flu. Testing for H1N1 is very expensive.”
Rock advised if a child or adult has a fever of 100 degrees or higher and a sore throat or cough, they should not go to school or to work. With children Rock advised to “give it a day or so. Call the 24-hour help line. If things don’t improve after a couple days, or if things get worse, see a doctor. It could be strep throat too.”
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that should get things going.