County still doesn't have enough of both flu vaccines
Published on -11/3/2009, 3:05 PM
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By GAYLE WEBER
Ellis County still doesn't have enough H1N1 or seasonal flu vaccine to inoculate those who need it.
Ellis County Health Administrator Butch Schlyer said the county has received about 2,000 doses of H1N1 vaccine, with most of it going to Hays Medical Center. Schlyer said after today, his department will have given out about 600 doses.
"It's coming in real slow, not near enough (for) what we need for this county," Schlyer said.
After administering a school clinic today, Schlyer said his department would be out of H1N1 vaccine again.
"We're trying to do the best we can with the allotments we're given," Schlyer said.
While H1N1 vaccine is coming in slowly, shipments of the seasonal flu vaccine virtually have stopped.
The health department has administered about 1,200 doses of seasonal flu vaccine, mostly to the elderly.
"We're about a thousand short," Schlyer said. "The medical center is short what they need. Fort Hays State just didn't get what they needed."
Dona Koenigsman, director of the Student Health Center at FHSU, said the center received its first shipment of 100 doses of H1N1 vaccine Monday.
"We've had a lot of H1N1," Koenigsman said.
Student health has confirmed six cases of the virus, and after the last case, stopped sending in lab work to confirm it.
"This week's been just a little bit slower than those in the previous weeks," Koenigsman said.
Student health also has received about only 60 doses of the seasonal flu vaccine, which is about one-third of its original order.
Koenigsman said she's been told the rest of her seasonal flu vaccine could be coming mid-month.
Student health had hoped to partner with Hays Med to provide clinics for the vaccinations but so far has not been able to do so.
"The flu vaccine just isn't being very cooperative with the things we thought we could do," Koenigsman said.
* As a precautionary measure, Schlyer is including a letter in the 2009 tax statements informing Ellis County residents about H1N1.
"Also, we're highly encouraging people if they can to stay out of the courthouse -- to pay their taxes via mail, (Internet) or drop box -- just to avoid contact," Schlyer said.
The information will be included in about 17,000 letters to taxpayers, which will be mailed by the end of next week.
