County only source for flu shots

ORIGINALLY WRITTEN DON RATZLAFF
The Marion County Health Department should have sufficient flu vaccine to immunize at-risk residents of Marion County, and perhaps others, department officials said last week.
The health department will likely be the only source for flu shots in the county-at least until further notice-because its contract is with Aventis Pharmaceuticals Inc. It has enough vaccine for about 1,500 shots.
Other traditional sources of flu shots-clinics and doctor’s offices in the county-were contracted with Chiron Corp., the flu-vaccine plant in northern England that closed last week, setting off an international shortage.
“(The Kansas Department of Health & Environment) is working with us because we are the only supplier of immunizations in Marion County that’s going to have flu vaccine,” said Anita Hooper of the county health department staff. “They’re trying to get us some extra flu-vaccine doses.”
Hooper said the health department will begin giving flu vaccinations Oct. 20, but persons in the following at-risk categories have priority:
— persons 65 years and older, including residents of nursing homes and long-term-care facilities;
— children 6 months to 23 months of age;
— pregnant women;
— adults and children with chronic health problems such as diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, asthma, a weakened immune system, cancer or HIV/AIDS.
“Once we’ve given the vaccine to everybody who’s high-risk, if there’s any left over we’ll give it to healthy adults and children,” Hooper said.
Health-care workers will have priority, she added.
The health department is setting up immunization clinics at the following locations:
— Burns Community Center, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., Oct. 25;
— Peabody Elementary School, 3:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., Oct. 26;
— Florence Community Center, 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Oct. 28.

Vaccinations also will be available at senior centers in the following communities: Marion, 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., Oct. 15; and Goessel, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., Oct. 15.

The health department’s own clinic will administer vaccinations every Wednesday, beginning Oct. 20, during its normal hours: 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

“We’re asking people to go ahead and come in to the immunization clinics that we’ll have,” Hooper said. “We’re going to give them a questionnaire, and if they don’t answer ‘yes’ to one of those high-risk conditions, we will keep their paperwork. As flu vaccine becomes available, we will be calling them back.”

Hooper said a flu shot will cost $15; the health department will also offer vaccinations for pneumonia.

“We pre-book (orders) in February or March-and we are contracted in at that price,” Hooper said. “I’ve read in the paper about some price gouging. Since we pre-book, the company (the department uses) doesn’t do that.”

Judy Jantz, office manager for PMA-Hillsboro Family Practice Clinic, confirmed that flu shots will not be available there anytime soon.

“Unfortunately, we did place our order with the Chiron company, so we will not be getting our flu shots-but I did put our name on the waiting list with Aventis,” Jantz said.

“I have not heard from Aventis whether we’ll be getting any or not.”

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