More H1N1 vaccine arrives in Stanislaus county

Modesto Bee Article

By Ken Carlson, Modesto Bee Staff Writer
last updated: November 13, 2009

Christine Hoover prepares to use a nebulizer that will create a sweet tasting aroma, testing the efficiency of H1N1 N-95 masked used at Evergreen Rehabilitation Care Center in Modesto. CNA Celeste Monzon is fitted with a hood to test the aroma with the N-95. November 12, 2009 (BART AH YOU/bahyou@modbee.com)

Members of the general public might have to ride out the holiday season without getting vaccinated for H1N1 influenza.

Stanislaus County health officials have been trying to get the county's fair share of the vaccine to give to people in high-risk groups, and with the death toll rising, seemed to make a breakthrough this week.

The flu virus has caused serious illness in the county for 21 consecutive weeks, resulting in 10 deaths and the hospitalization of 154 patients. The most recent deaths were a 33-year-old man who died Nov. 2, a 48-year-old woman Oct. 21 and a 45-year-old woman Oct. 27, health officials said Thursday.

Last week, the county notified state health officials that it had not received an equitable amount of H1N1 vaccine compared with other counties, said Dr. John Walker, the county's public health officer.

"We have been assured that our doctors and other health care providers will receive a high priority for receiving vaccine," Walker said Thursday. "There is evidence they are clearly making an effort."

As of Thursday, a national distributor had shipped 50,600 of the 67,700 doses ordered by local health care providers for people in high-risk groups, or about 75 percent of the vaccine ordered. Not all of it has arrived.

Two weeks ago, only 27 percent of the orders had been filled.

Guidelines on who gets it

Federal and state guidelines say the vaccine should go to parents and caregivers of children who are less than 6 months old, children age 6 months to 17, pregnant women, adults with underlying health conditions and health care workers.

County public health has held back on ordering the vaccine for public vaccination clinics so that available vaccine can be shipped to private physicians, nonprofit health clinics and hospitals. Last week, the county immunization clinic on Scenic Drive in Modesto designated 600 doses of the vaccine for pregnant women because local obstetricians had not received many doses.

"They are the ones who take care of the patients in targeted groups, who have the records and can identify the people who are at highest risk," Walker said.

The California Department of Public Health had expected to have 6.2 million doses from manufacturers by this month, but with the production problems has received 4.5 million, which hasn't been distributed equally to counties.

"We have taken concrete steps to level that out," Dr. Mark Horton, state public health director, said at a news conference. "We continue to see an increased number of doses being released and ultimately there should be enough for targeted groups."

Horton said he has stopped trying to predict when California will get its full allotment of the vaccine, but believes it will be after Jan. 1. An estimated 18 million Californians are in the categories considered vulnerable to the novel flu virus, including young to middle-aged adults.

Modesto-based Sutter Gould Medical Foundation, a major physicians group serving Stanislaus, Merced and San Joaquin counties, received about 4,000 doses of the injectable vaccine this week, just under 15 percent of its total order, spokesman Craig Baize said.

Its obstetrical centers are contacting pregnant patients to come in for shots. The vaccine also is going to health care workers who have direct contact with patients and the rest has been distributed to its primary care centers for patients 6 months to 24 years old, and adults age 25 to 64 with chronic health conditions, Baize said.

"We are giving vaccine to patients that already have scheduled appointments," Baize said. "When we receive more of the vaccine, we plan to have flu clinics, much like our seasonal flu clinics."

Bee staff writer Ken Carlson can be reached at kcarlson@modbee.com or 578-2321.

Health officials are recommending several steps to prevent the spread of the virus:

• If you have flu symptoms, stay home from work or school to avoid spreading the disease. Do not return until two days after your symptoms are gone.

• Wash your hands often and cover your nose and mouth when you cough or sneeze.

• Go to the hospital if you have severe symptoms such as difficulty breathing. But if your symptoms are mild, stay home to avoid spreading the virus to others at the hospital.

• Masks may be recommended for health care workers, family members and others who come in close contact with swine flu patients, but there is no need for the general public to wear masks.

• It is safe to eat properly handled pork. Cook it to at least 160F.

What is the H1N1 virus?

H1N1 is a new virus that combines genes from flu viruses that circulate in pigs, birds and humans. On June 11, the World Health Organization announced a pandemic was under way. Health officials say most people experiencing flu-like symptoms in the Sacramento region at this time have swine flu.

How is H1N1 different from the seasonal flu?
The virus is new and, because people have not developed immunity, can spread more easily. It primarily affects teens, young adults and the middle-aged. The seasonal flu, by contrast, tends to be most dangerous to the very young and very old.

Is H1N1 more deadly than the seasonal flu?
Not at this point. The death rate is about the same. But health officials worry this could change: They say the respiratory infections in people with swine flu are more severe than in seasonal flu, and the virus could morph into a more lethal form.