<!--Mark Scheer--><table width="234" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" background="http://static.cnhi.zope.net/flashpromo/niagaragazette/images/byline_234x60.jpg" height="60"><tr><td><div align="center"><font size="3" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">By Mark Scheer</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br /></font><font size="1" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><a href="mailto:mark.scheer@niagara-gazette.com">mark.scheer@niagara-gazette.com</a></font></div></td></tr></table>
The majority of those waiting for an H1N1 vaccine likely won’t see a dose until well into 2010, Niagara County’s top health official said Tuesday.
During Tuesday’s meeting of the county Legislature, Public Health Director Dan Stapleton told lawmakers the scarcity of the vaccine has forced health officials to concentrate near-term delivery on members of priority vaccination groups, including younger people, caregivers of infants and pregnant women.
As a result, Stapleton said it is likely that county residents who do not fall into any of the risk categories for developing complications from the virus may have to wait until several months into 2010 before they are able to receive the H1N1 vaccine.
“It’s not big secret to people that the vaccine is in very short supply and that is forcing us to do things a little differently than we normally would,” Stapleton said.
In addition to people under 25, caretakers of infants and pregnant woman, individuals considered at high risk include health care workers and people who have underlying health conditions such as cancer, heart disease or blood, liver, neuromuscular and neurological disorders. Stapleton said the county is following vaccination procedures outlined by the Centers for Disease Control which call for priority groups to be vaccinated first as they are at higher risk of developing serious illness and complications from H1N1. The county’s first H1N1 school immunization clinic is set for Saturday at Starpoint High School where district staff, students and district residents who fall into risk categories are expected to be vaccinated. Stapleton said similar clinics will be held at other districts in the county in the future.
He also said the level of doses available at this point are not sufficient. The county health department ordered more than 200,000 doses of the vaccine in the wake of the swine flu pandemic. Stapleton said it has so far received around 9,000 doses. He noted that roughly 75,000 doses alone will be needed to provide enough vaccinations for one of the priority groups — young people between the ages of 6 months and 24 years.
If the pace of delivery continues to flow as slowly as it has to date, Stapleton said he would not expect the vaccine to be readily available to the general population until March or April of next year, a matter of weeks before the flu season, which typically ends in June, would normally be expected to come to a close. He added that if the supply of vaccine increases in the coming months, the health department will likely be able to adjust its strategy so more individuals who are not considered high risk can be vaccinated sooner.
“Until all the priority groups are met, we will not be able to give it to the general public,” Stapleton said.
