County Health Officials: Get H1N1 Vaccinations Immediately

By Stan Matthews
County Communications Program Manager

San Juan County Health officials report that the available supply of H1N1 vaccine is improving and urge all residents with chronic health conditions, regardless of age, to get a H1N1 flu vaccination as soon as possible.

Shortages of vaccine have forced health officials to give vaccinations on a priority basis and – because the disease disproportionately affects young people – until this week residents 65 and over were not in the high priority group.

Health officials are also asking parents of children under 9 years of age to help make sure their child receives both required doses of the vaccine, separated by 3 to 4 weeks.

Increasing deliveries of vaccine have allowed health agencies in many parts of the state to offer vaccinations to the public at large and health officials here hope to make a similar announcement soon, however their largest concern remains with the highest risk portion of the County’s population.

County Health Officer Dr. Frank James reported, “Last week in Washington State there were 22 hospitalizations and 5 deaths due to novel H1N1 influenza infections. These events are preventable with the effective and very safe vaccine that is now available.”

Statewide and nationally, deaths and hospitalizations associated with the disease have most often involved people who already had a respiratory condition or other chronic health condition, such as asthma, heart ailments, diabetes, cancer, or were undergoing treatment or had a condition treatments that suppressed their immune system.

In San Juan County there have been no H1N1 deaths and only one hospitalization associated with the disease; a young child who had a pre-existing respiratory condition.

Dr. James has noted the incidence of the flu in the County’s schools and among residents in general appears to have peaked; however he expects a significant number of new cases of H1N1 flu to continue to occur “for several months.”

As the weather turns colder and travel conditions could become treacherous quickly Dr. James said, it is urgent for all people with chronic health conditions to arrange to be vaccinated.