H1N1 clinic serves many, but misses some
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Erin Robbason reads to 2-year-old Miles as they wait at the H1N1 flu clinic put on by the Rutland Area Visiting Nurse Association & Hospice at College of St. Joseph in Rutland on Wednesday. Vyto Starinskas / Rutland Herald |
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By Cristina Kumka STAFF WRITER - Published: November 12, 2009
Hundreds were served, but many were turned away at Rutland County's first 2009 H1N1 flu vaccination clinic held in the gymnasium at Rutland's College of St. Joseph on Wednesday morning. The clinic was free and open to the public.
Those administering the swine flu vaccines and those in attendance said the clinic was largely organized and successful with a few evident exceptions — there weren't enough shots to meet public demand and an alternative vaccine that's just as effective was leftover.
Beginning at 5 a.m. Wednesday, vaccination seekers lined up at the doors of the college gym and by 10 a.m., a crowd of about 400 people lined the winding sidewalk that wrapped around the building.
Volunteers from the Rutland Area Visiting Nurse Association & Hospice administered all 300 doses of vaccines by injection from two different manufacturers by 10:50 a.m. for people who were considered high-risk for catching swine flu, but the bulk of its 200-dose supply of FluMist, a nasal spray vaccination, was still available at the end of the day.
"It (the public urge to get the shot) is taking away from that vaccine (the nasal spray)," said Ron Cioffi, chief executive officer for RAVNAH.
"FluMist is safe and effective ... we're going to have FluMist left over."
The FluMist vaccine, a live vaccine, is only for people without chronic illnesses and those not pregnant, ages 2 through 24.
By 11 a.m., the large crowd waiting outside dispersed, vaccinated or not.
Some high-risk vaccine candidates were left out in the cold, anxious to find another time and date.
"I'm gonna come early and hit as many (clinics) as I can," said Sybil Williams, 50, of Hartland, who said she suffers from a spinal cord injury and bad lungs.
A shortage of vaccines by injection was also the case at the state's first H1N1 clinic in Middlebury on Nov. 3.
High-risk candidates were told they would have to wait longer to get a vaccine after hundreds of doses were already taken or already registered to other people within an hour.
According to clinic administrators from the Rutland Area Visiting Nurse Association & Hospice, more injections of the swine flu vaccine are on their way, more free public clinics will be held, and there's no need to panic.
"This year, the H1N1 hasn't grown as quickly and the supply is slower in coming," said Betsy Morgan, co-manager of RAVNAH's community and occupational health department.
"It's apparently going to pick up but we haven't seen that yet."
RAVNAH's first influx of swine flu vaccines from the Vermont Department of Health were used Wednesday on priority candidates or those highest at risk of catching the new strain.
High-risk candidates, or those who are more susceptible to catching the flu, include people age 25 through 64 with chronic illnesses such as asthma, diabetes or cancer, pregnant women, anyone age 6 months through 24, health care and emergency workers and people who live with or care for infants younger than 6 months.
"With this one (swine flu strain), it's the little kids and the younger ones that are getting sick," Morgan said.
"This is the other side of that coin … which is sometimes hard for people to understand."
According to Morgan, the state department uses its own statistics to determine how many doses will be sent to each clinic provider.
Vaccines are produced by large manufacturers, sent to the federal government and then to states to be dispersed, Morgan said.
"We were informed by the state as to how many doses we were supposed to need," she said.
Following each clinic, RAVNAH tells the state how many vaccines were used but is not required to report how many people were left without one.
"We get a limited number, distribute it first come, first serve and we give it until it's gone," Morgan said.
In attendance at Wednesday's clinic was Rutland School Board member and state Rep. Peter Fagan, waiting for vaccines for his two teenage sons.
Fagan said he wished the flow of vaccines from the federal government to Vermont was "more predictable."
"But, we're controlling what we can control," he said.
"When the last kid in this state has his flu shot, then I'll get mine," he said.
The next public H1N1 vaccination clinics will be held by RAVNAH from noon to 2 p.m. Nov. 23 at the American Legion Post in Brandon and from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 9 at Mill River Union High School in Clarendon.
For more information, call RAVNAH at 775-0568.
cristina.kumka@rutlandherald.com
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