H1N1 Vaccine (house, school, office)

[ajzjmsmom]

Originally Posted by karmathecat

I don't know how you could possibly interpret my statement to mean that it is ok that the "regular" flu kills someone. No, I do not mean that.

What I am trying to say is that the regular fly vaccine seems to be ( almost ) as available as it was last year, but the H1N1 vaccine is not readily available and the fact that the DOH in NM actually does have some is not being widely advertised ( if you go to their website it indicates that the vaccine has been ordered and not delivered. You have to really dig in the site before you find one reference to "some" offices having limited amounts of mist.

Maybe it's available where you live, I don't know. I have friends in the DC area ( Va. ) who say there are no shortages, that doctor's offices, free clinics, state DOH offices all have the H1N1 vaccine in shot and mist form. Other people ( in Texas ) say neither mist or shot form is available yet.

Seems to me that doses should be provided by population and it's interesting how availability is so varied state to state.

Actually I am in the DC area on temporary assignment and while it may have been readily available a week ago, no longer. The peds offices are saying they have none,the only people that have it seems to be the health dept, they were supposed to be working with the schools in the area and starting next week mass vaccinating in the schools but now I am not sure. I know Fairfax county has cancelled the school vaccinations for now and are only doing a few clinics with limited numbers of vaccines available. Prince William County is only doing clinics also.

I also noticed yesterday that the Walgreens in our area is now out of the seasonal flu vaccine, they had it a week ago. This whole mess is crazy with the CDC saying it will now be mid Nov until they are up to the levels of the vaccine they were supposed to have now and sometime in Jan before they have enough for everyone.

We need to remember that not everyone will get the H1N1 virus even if they are exposed to it.

This was posted on the Alamogordo school district website.


[SIZE=-1]Update from New Mexico Department of Health[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]NEW MEXICO DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH

Secretary Alfredo Vigil, MD

For Immediate Release Media Contact: Chris Minnick

Oct. 14, 2009 575-528-5197, 575-649-0754 (cell)

H1N1 Weekly Media Update: Oct. 14, 2009

Disease Investigation

The Department of Health is tracking hospitalizations and deaths to determine if there is a change in the severity of the disease. The Department of Health is not seeing any other types of influenza in New Mexico at this time, therefore all positive flu tests are presumed to be novel H1N1 influenza. The definition of an influenza-related hospitalization was broadened this week to include any hospitalization with any lab test positive for influenza, which accounts for the increase in hospitalizations from 140 to 221. The severity of illness due to novel H1N1 influenza, which has been mostly mild, has not changed nationally or in New Mexico from the spring.

Influenza-Like Illness

Visits to healthcare providers for influenza-like illness increased to approximately 16 percent this week, up from approximately 10 percent last week. The percentage of visits to healthcare providers is drastically higher than would be expected for this time of year. During the peak of last year’s flu season in March of 2009, approximately three percent of all visits to providers were due to influenza-like illness. The Department tracks influenza-like illness, which is defined as fever and either cough and/or sore throat, at 22 clinics throughout the state. Influenza-like illness is the best indicator of flu activity in the state.

Deaths

The Department of Health is reporting three novel H1N1-related deaths in the last week in New Mexico. The latest deaths are a 47-year-old female from Chaves County who had no known chronic health conditions, a 59-year-old male from San Juan County who had chronic health conditions that put him at higher risk, and a 63-year-old male whose county of residence has not yet been determined who had chronic health conditions that put him at higher risk.

So far this year, there have been 12 deaths related to novel H1N1 influenza in the state. The other novel H1N1-related deaths are as follows: a 45-year-old female from Sierra County with end stage liver disease, a 52-year-old female from Bernalillo County with chronic pulmonary disease, a 48-year-old female from McKinley County with asthma and diabetes, a 21-year-old female from Los Alamos County without chronic medical conditions, and a 58-year-old male from Bernalillo County with chronic conditions that put him at risk for serious complications from the flu, a 5-year-old female from Sandoval County with no chronic health conditions, a female infant from Roosevelt with no chronic health conditions, a 17-year-old female from Chaves County with no chronic health conditions, and a 28-year-old male from Lea County who did not have any known chronic health conditions.

Hospitalizations by County

There have been 221 hospitalizations related to novel H1N1 influenza. The hospitalizations by county are as follows: Bernalillo County (39), Chaves County (7), Cibola County (5), Curry (15), Doña Ana County (15), Eddy County (9), Guadalupe County (1), Lea County (10), Lincoln County (2), Los Alamos County (1), Luna County (1), McKinley County (27), Otero County (7), Rio Arriba County (6), Roosevelt County (4), San Juan County (14), Sandoval County (9), Santa Fe County (7), Sierra County (6), Socorro County (5), Taos County (10), Valencia County (5) and 16 cases where residence has not yet been determined.

Vaccine Information

As of Oct. 14, the Department of Health has ordered 42,203 doses of novel H1N1 vaccine that will be shipped directly to healthcare providers and public health offices statewide. Both nasal and injectable vaccine has been ordered. The vaccine will arrive in stages, and the Department of Health expects to have about 1.2 million doses by the end of January 2010.

The Department of Health is encouraging people to call their primary healthcare providers to ask if they are providing the novel H1N1 vaccine. People without insurance or a healthcare provider, or whose providers will not offer the novel H1N1 vaccine, can get the vaccine from a local public health office. For information about scheduled flu shot clinics, call 1-866-681-5872 or go online to NMIVC. Please call your local public health office first to check the availability of novel H1N1 vaccine. Public health offices are listed in the phonebook’s blue pages under state government. Contact information for public health offices is also listed at New Mexico Department of Health Home Page.

The Department of Health is encouraging the following people who are at a higher risk for developing serious complications from novel H1N1 to get vaccinated as soon as possible: pregnant women, household members/caretakers of infants less than 6 months old, children 6 to59 months of age, children 5 to18 years with certain chronic health conditions that increase their risk of complications from flu, and healthcare workers and emergency medical service personnel with direct patient care.

Vaccine Ordered by County:

The following is a total amount of novel H1N1 vaccine hat has been ordered for each county as of Oct. 14: Bernalillo (15,680), Catron (40), Chaves (1,410), Cibola (560), Colfax (370), Curry (1,030), DeBaca (20), Doña Ana (4,030), Eddy, (1,140), Grant (650), Guadalupe (120), Harding (0), Hidalgo (40), Lea (1,250), Lincoln (390), Los Alamos (380), Luna (540), McKinley (2,130), Mora (40), Otero (1,320), Quay (160), Rio Arriba (885), Roosevelt (390), San Juan (2,760), San Miguel (570), Sandoval (1,270), Santa Fe (2,765), Sierra (180), Socorro (360), Taos (560), Torrance (200), Union (90), Valencia (900).

Resources

New Mexico H1N1 Information:

NM Department of Health Seasonal & H1N1Flu Information.

National H1N1 Information

CDC 2009 H1N1 Flu

Statewide Seasonal Flu Clinics

NMIVC

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[AlisonL]

Originally Posted by chrokee69

The scary part about this is here in Missouri is kids above 5 and people from there on can get H1N1 spray mist. But what I can't get is why is it so bad for people like me with asthma to get it. Anyone with asthma and or other with some type of medical condition they won't get it either. I don't want to see No one die because of it. But the way it looks though it is a germ warfare going on in this country.

Who said people with asthma won't get the shot?????
I am have asthma. That puts me in the high risk group that HAS to have the shot. Its why I always get the seasonal flu shot. I can't afford to get any flu or cold, or I am liable to end up in the ER. Thankfully I haven't yet, but I am not going to risk it.

There is a shot out there, and if I want it, I will get it.

[karmathecat]

I could barely follow that post but I think was she was trying to say is that adults with asthma cannot get the nasal mist, they can get the shot. I'm in that category as well.

[ajzjmsmom]

Originally Posted by AlisonL

Who said people with asthma won't get the shot?????
I am have asthma. That puts me in the high risk group that HAS to have the shot. Its why I always get the seasonal flu shot. I can't afford to get any flu or cold, or I am liable to end up in the ER. Thankfully I haven't yet, but I am not going to risk it.

There is a shot out there, and if I want it, I will get it.

People with asthma are not supposed to get the flumist since it is a weakened version of the virus. The shot is supposed to be fine for asthmatics.

[AlisonL]

Okay that makes sense. I was having trouble following the post.

Anyway, I called my grandson's ped. office. They do not have the vaccine yet, and when they do...2-4 yr olds will be the first to get it....as they are priority. I am sorry but my grandson is a priority to us.

My doctor's office doesn't have it and probably won't have any. I told them I am high risk, where can I get one? The woman was like oh well.

I am upset with my doctor's office anyway, and that didn't score any points with me.

The longer I live here, the more disgusted I get with the health care system, or lack thereof.

[karmathecat]

As I said before, some department of health offices have the mist. You might want to call around and see if your grandson can get it there.

[berncohomes]

My doctor at ABQ Health Partners told me that I am not allowed to get the shot, I have asthma but she doesn't believe it to be a high risk.

I think I will probably be looking for a new Doctor.

[ajzjmsmom]

Originally Posted by berncohomes

My doctor at ABQ Health Partners told me that I am not allowed to get the shot, I have asthma but she doesn't believe it to be a high risk.

I think I will probably be looking for a new Doctor.

It depends on your age, the medical community believe the older people may have immunity from the Swine Flu in 1976.

I would imagine if you felt you needed the shot you could go to the health department and get the shot. Your doctor may also be basing her decision on what the health dept is saying, if you will look at my other post there is a letter from the Dept of Health secretary of NM that has the order and priority for the shots.

[berncohomes]

I'm late 30's

[karmathecat]

ABQ Health Partners' spokesperson, Roann Sexson, just did a little blurb on the news. Honestly, if you are a medical professional giving an interview about something as serious as a pandemic, you might not want to wear your low cut bright red suit and studded leather choker that day.

Frankly, if my doctor would not "allow" me to get the vaccine, I would find a new doctor as well.