By Nancy Weaver Teichert, The Sacramento Bee, Calif. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News
Nov. 5--Sacramento County has started to distribute 6,380 new doses of flu vaccine to doctors to give to their high-risk patients.
With more deliveries expected, Dr. Glennah Trochet, Sacramento County health officer, hopes that everyone in a high-risk group can be immunized by mid-December.
'I know there is more coming,' Trochet said. 'If they haven't gotten it yet, they should not give up.'
Placer, El Dorado and Yolo counties have received an additional 5,380 flu shots that will go to physicians, county clinics or nursing homes.
Sacramento County does not have enough to fill all the 14,000 requests from doctors for high-risk patients. Those physicians who have no vaccine will receive the first shipment, she said.
Sacramento County public health clinics requested 2,500 doses, but Trochet said they will receive only 1,000 from the first shipment for those without health insurance.
'We distributed as fairly as we can what we have, knowing there is going to be further redistribution of vaccine,' she said.
Because of the shortage, officials in every county have taken charge of distributing the 271,740 doses reallocated statewide by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and vaccine maker Sanofi-Aventis.
In Sacramento County, first to be immunized will be adults 65 and older with chronic medical conditions, the frail elderly including those in nursing homes, children with a chronic medical condition and health care workers who care for those with severely weak immune systems.
As more vaccine becomes available, all risk groups will be eligible, including the healthy elderly, all children, health care workers who provide direct patient care and all women who will be pregnant in flu season.
Trochet recommended that healthy health care workers under 50 consider getting the FluMist nasal vaccine.
Ken August, spokesman for the California Department of Health Services, said the state is anticipating another shipment in January.
The county's allotments are based on population, past usage of vaccine and the estimated number of high-risk people.
The state's flu season runs from mid-December through January. 'There's still plenty of time to get a flu shot and enjoy the benefits of it, but you may just have to wait a little longer,' August said.
The flu surveillance program with Kaiser Permanente, August said, has documented no influenza cases yet, although people may be suffering from other viruses.
August said counties statewide are allocating vaccine through private physicians, clinics or a combination of the two.
Health officer Dr. Richard Burton of Placer County said his new shipment of 2,560 doses is being given to physicians and long-term care facilities for the elderly.
'Everyone is trying to best use their supply,' Burton said.
El Dorado County had only 50 doses until it got 1,670 from the state and bought an additional 900.
Immunization coordinator Cathy Dunbar said some will be given to private physicians and that the county also will have clinics in Placerville and in South Lake Tahoe this month.
Yolo County is handing out its additional 1,150 doses to physicians and nursing homes, said County Health Officer Bette Hinton.
She said she expects all high-risk people to get vaccinated because Woodland Health Care had an earlier shipment and offered public clinics.
Kaiser Permanente expects to get 80 percent of its original order of 750,000 doses for its members.
'We should be able to vaccinate just about everybody who really needs it,' said Dr. Roger Baxter, infectious disease specialist with the flu vaccine program for Northern California.
Since the number of flu shots available nationwide was halved in October because of a supply contamination, flu shot clinics have been canceled.
Older people, who have the highest rate of fatalities from the flu and complications, have been searching desperately for the vaccine.
John Kehoe, 73, former executive director of the California Commission on Aging, said he has made more than 50 calls and followed false leads for two weeks.
He's in a high-risk group, yet his doctor could not provide a shot. His two health maintenance organizations couldn't help him. Web sites have been fruitless. He even called the CDC in Atlanta for advice.
'It's very important. I've never missed a flu shot for 15 or 20 years,' Kehoe said, adding that older people have a reason to be fearful. 'It could be the death sentence.'
FLU SHOT INFORMATION
For more information on supplies of flu vaccine as they become available:
--Call your doctor.
--In Sacramento County: Check the Web site flufinder.thebeehive.org/ or call the flu hotline at (916) 875-7053 or Sacramento InfoLine at (916) 498-1000.
--In El Dorado County, call the flu hotline at (530) 621-6188 or go to www.co.el-dorado.ca.us.
--In Placer County, call the message line, (530) 889-7161, or see the county Web site at www.placer.ca.gov.
--Kaiser Permanente members can call (866) 573-5811.
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