ANDERSON, Ind. — Inoculations against the H1N1 flu that were to begin this week at Madison County schools were canceled Monday because of a shortage of vaccine.
The county’s decision to call off planned school clinics marked a reversal of long-planned strategy for dealing with the virus commonly referred to as swine flu. The Health Department announced Monday that instead of school clinics, a first-come, first-served, drive-through clinic would take place a week from Wednesday at Hoosier Park.
“We just simply don’t have enough vaccine” for clinics in county schools, said Stephanie Grimes, public health coordinator with the Madison County Health Department. Clinics were to begin this Thursday with vaccines at Anderson’s North Side Middle School and then be provided at other county schools.
“It’s frustrating to the people of our community,” Anderson Community Schools interim Superintendent Lennon Brown said. “We’re all asking questions.
“In spite of the emergency the president declared, we still have a shortage of vaccine,” Brown said. “It’s an issue this whole country is facing.”
Grimes said the county has received just 3,700 doses of vaccine against H1N1. As the county scripted its game plan to offer vaccinations, the Health Department had been assured that far more doses would be available by this time — enough to inoculate priority populations.
The vaccine that has been received has been distributed, she said. Though more shipments are expected this week, she said the county could not proceed with school clinics given the uncertainty surrounding supplies.
“We had hoped to have closer to 20,000 to 30,000 doses,” Grimes said. “There are about 20,000 school-age children in the county. ... We’re not getting anywhere near that number in terms of our doses.”
Elwood Community Schools Superintendent Tom Austin said news that the school clinics were being replaced with first-come, first-served vaccinations at Hoosier Park also frustrated school staff who had been preparing to offer the shots. It’s also an inconvenient location for people in the northern part of the county, he said.
“It’s going to be difficult, if not impossible, for many of our parents to get their kids there,” Austin said. “I think it’s unfortunate that the vaccines are not sufficient enough to have clinics as they had been scheduled.”
He said he hoped that vaccine supplies improved to the point that the county could reconsider the decision to scrap school clinics.
“I’m not faulting the Madison County Health Department,” Austin said. “They’ve been exceptionally cooperative with the school districts.
“I hope that some form of on-site clinic will be scheduled for this part of the county.”
Health department spokeswoman Kellie J. Kelly said the planned vaccination session at Hoosier Park next week would be followed by similar events in other parts of the county. It’s unclear when they will take place, though, because of uncertainty about supplies. There may be only 500 doses to administer at Hoosier Park, she said.
“They don’t tell us; they just send us what they have available,” Kelly said. “We expect the unknown and that’s kind of what we’re dealing with.”
Contact Dave Stafford: 648-4250, dave.stafford@heraldbulletin.com
H1N1 flu shots
What: First-come, first-served, drive-through vaccinations against H1N1, commonly referred to as swine flu.
When: Wednesday, Nov. 4, 5 p.m.
Where: Hoosier Park Racing and Casino, Anderson.
Who: County health officials urge priority populations to seek the shots. Those are: pregnant women; household contacts and caregivers of those younger than 6 months; children from 6 months to adults age 24; health care and emergency care workers; adults 25 and older with pre-existing, chronic medical conditions.
More information: Call the Madison County Health Department, 641-9523 or 646-9206.
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County calls off H1N1 shots at schools
Drive-through session set Nov. 4 at Hoosier Park
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