H1N1 vaccines by appointment

I just got this via e-mail from the Health Department:

Hillsborough-- Orange County residents can now call 1-888-252-3001 to reach a scheduler to make an H1N1 vaccine appointment. Utilizing H1N1 implementation funds, appointment scheduling was outsourced to Global Response to set up a professional appointment call center for greater public access to appointments.

Operators screen callers according to the Centers for Disease Control priority group guidelines and have up to ten lines active from 8:00am-5:00pm Monday - Friday. Callers will be offered appointments at the health department's Chapel Hill or Hillsborough clinic locations. Global Response will post a message for callers once all appointments are full, but will re-open as vaccine supplies are replenished.

Global Response is an appointment service only, for medically related questions the public can call the health department's H1N1 Nurse at 919-605-2051 or post an email to flu@co.orange.nc.us.

Currently, half-day H1N1 clinics are being held daily Monday through Friday by appointment. The health department estimates that 400 appointments will be available weekly with additional appointments becoming available as more vaccine is shipped.

For general information about seasonal and H1N1 flu and updated information about vaccines visit the health department's website at www.co.orange.nc.us/health or the Flu Information line at 919-245-2479.

h1n1 vaccine update

From the Orange County Health Department:

The Orange County Health Department will hold 2 H1N1 vaccination clinics on Friday, October 23, 2009. The walk-in clinics will begin at 1:30 pm, last until the vaccine supplies are exhausted and will be held at both health department locations:
• 300 West Tryon Street , Hillsborough
• 2501 Homestead Road, Chapel Hill
Injectable vaccine will be available and will be free. (Injectable vaccine is made with inactivated or 'killed' virus and is injected into the muscle, like the seasonal flu shot.)

These clinics are for persons identified as members of priority groups for vaccination due to being at increased risk for complications from flu. These groups are:
• Pregnant women
• Persons 6 months - 24 years of age
• Close contacts to and caregivers of children <6 months of age
• Persons 25-64 years of age with conditions placing them at increased risk for complications from flu
• Healthcare workers

Monitor H1N1 vaccine availability by calling the health department's Flu Line at 245-2479 or visiting the department's website at www.co.orange.nc.us/health

H1N1 nasal mist

From the county Health Department: (Remember, the nasal mist is not for pregnant women or those with underlying health issues)

HILLSBOROUGH--The Orange County Health Department will receive 700 doses of H1N1 nasal mist later today. The department will follow current Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines and plans to distribute a portion of this first vaccine shipment to medical practices not receiving vaccine directly form the State and to Orange County Emergency Services for eligible first responders. The department will also vaccinate eligible health department clients and staff providing direct patient care.

The CDC's Vaccination Information Statement for live H1N1 explains that nasal mist is a live, attenuated intranasal vaccine (or LAIV). It is licensed for healthy, non-pregnant people from 2 through 49 years of age. The live vaccine virus is attenuated (weakened) so it will not cause illness. People should not get nasal mist if they have a severe (life-threatening) allergy to eggs. "To get the live H1N1 vaccine, a person must be healthy, 2 to 49 years of age and not pregnant. Persons in close contact to a severely immuno-compromised patient (hospitalized in a protected environment) should not receive the live vaccine formulation," says Judy Butler, RN Community Services Supervisor.

While certain groups should not get live virus vaccines – for example pregnant women, people with long-term health problems, and children from 6 months to 2 years of age – it is important that they be vaccinated. They should get the inactivated form of H1N1 (vaccine that has killed virus in it) when it becomes available. For more information on H1N1 vaccine restrictions and eligibility requirements visit the CDC's website to the review the latest H1N1 vaccination information statements at http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/vis/default.htm.

County public health officials anticipate that local medical providers will begin receiving H1N1 vaccine shipments within the next two weeks. The health department expects future vaccine shipments, but has no delivery date. For local flu updates visit www.co.orange.nc.us/health.