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Even though students and residents will soon be able to receive the H1N1 vaccine through the Jackson County Health Department, the university is struggling to determine when its vaccine shipments will arrive.
Ted Grace, director of the Student Health Center, said the center was promised shipments a couple of weeks ago, but has no idea when the vaccines will arrive.
“I wish I knew the arrival date,” Grace said. “No one is communicating with us on what’s going on.”
President Barack Obama declared H1N1 a national emergency Saturday as a pre-emptive measure designed to speed up treatment and slow the spread of the strain. According to the Chicago Tribune, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention wanted to have ample supplies of the vaccine available by mid-October, but problems in production have slowed distribution.
Grace said the vaccine has been under-produced because the H1N1 strain does not grow as fast as the seasonal flu does in eggs used to produce the vaccine. According to The New York Times, only about 28 million doses would be available by the end of October, which is 30 percent below the 40 million doses that had been previously projected.
Angie Bailey, director of health education, said the Jackson County Health Department has received its supply of H1N1 vaccinations and has scheduled free clinics beginning Friday. Bailey said she did not know the exact amount of vaccinations received, but she anticipates there will be enough for everyone who wants it.
“(The amount of vaccinations) is constantly changing,” Bailey said. “We anticipate we will have enough vaccinations probably within the next couple of months.”
Bailey said the department has scheduled clinics for Friday and Saturday to vaccinate people who are most at risk of complications, including people age 6 months to 24 years old. Though there are three scheduled clinics for November, Bailey said she would encourage people to check the Web site or call ahead to confirm the clinic time.
Grace said the health department and area hospitals are first priority to obtain the vaccines and the Jackson County Health Department has received three small shipments. Bailey said the department has already ordered more.
Grace said the university is second priority and he thought it would begin receiving shipments soon after the health department received its first order.
“We thought we would then begin getting the shipment,” Grace said. “It looks like they’re going to fill (the Jackson County Health Department’s) full order first … before they go to the second priority.”
Grace said he has ordered 8,000 doses, but has not communicated with the Illinois Department of Health since it questioned whether the health center could house that large of an order, which Grace said it could.
Once the health center does receive the vaccines, Grace said clinics would most likely be held often and possibly daily for about three to four hours at a time at multiple locations on campus.
Grace said the university has had two confirmed cases of H1N1 and about 25 positive cases of influenza A, which has not been identified in the area as any other strain besides H1N1. Grace said those cases receive the same H1N1 treatment as well.
Madeleine Leroux can be reached at 536-3311 ext. 254.
