ANDERSON, Ind. — Amber Hester’s two children at 29th Street Elementary expected to get vaccinated against H1N1 at a school clinic in the next few weeks. She’d signed the permission slips, and explained to fifth-grader Avery and third-grader Noah why they would be getting the shots.
“I’m scared to death of this swine flu,” Hester said Wednesday. “I thought, ‘Cool, my child’s going to be vaccinated.
“I explained to them what it was about and they were excited ... now they might be a little scared.”
A shortage of vaccine and delays in shipping it put the Madison County Health Department in the position of explaining why it had to call off clinics in county schools that were to have begun on Thursday. The county scrapped the clinics on Tuesday, and instead plans a drive-through, first-come, first-served clinic at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 4, at Hoosier Park.
Madison County Health Department spokeswoman Kellie J. Kelly said the county waited until Monday to cancel the clinics because an expected shipment of 1,000 doses that day instead contained just 100. Supplies consistently have arrived later than local officials had been advised.
“The anticipated amount we were expected to have by the last week of October won’t probably be fulfilled until the end of December,” she said. “We’re about two months behind in that respect.”
Meanwhile, Kelly said the county hopes to have at least 700 doses of H1N1 vaccine available for the Hoosier Park inoculations, an increase from what officials said Monday, that perhaps as few as 500 doses would be available.
She said the situation has caused some concern among callers to the Health Department.
“As we would expect, the calls are somewhat of concerned citizens wondering if there is enough (vaccine) for their family,” said Madison County Health Department spokeswoman Kellie J. Kelly. “Most individuals are understanding that the Health Department can’t do much differently.”
Hester said she understands the department’s situation, “but they probably should have waited till they knew (about supplies) for certain and sent all this stuff home in my kids’ backpacks.”
She also said a first-come, first-served clinic “is just not right,” because the county has stressed vaccinating priority populations first, particularly children, pregnant women and health care workers.
Kelly said the county is planning more vaccination sites after the Hoosier Park event, and will keep offering H1N1 shots as long as vaccine keeps coming.
“We’re getting more shipments as time goes on,” she said. “Now we are looking at sites in Alexandria and Elwood and additional sites in Anderson as additional supplies become available. We anticipate getting vaccine all the way through December and perhaps early January.”
Until more vaccine becomes available, Kelly said the Health Department is asking residents to take precautions and bear with a difficult situation.
“Please stay home if you are ill,” she said, urging people to wash their hands, cover sneezes and avoid people who are ill to limit the spread of H1N1.
“Be patient and confident and allow those most at risk to get the vaccine first,” she said. “We are very hopeful there will be enough vaccine to get it to everybody who wants it, but if we can focus on priority populations first, it’s very much appreciated.”
Contact Dave Stafford: 648-4250, dave.stafford@heraldbulletin.com
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