By Stan Matthews County Communications Program Manager
San Juan County Public Health officials are asking for help in making sure that the available supplies of H1N1 vaccine get to the people who can most benefit from it. The priority groups being sought now are:
- Pregnant women – please call the San Juan County Health and Community Services Department (HCS) for an appointment. Phone: 378-4474
- Children under 5 – contact child’s health care provider or HCS
- All children 5 to 24 years (school age) with asthma, diabetes or any other chronic illness – should contact their health care provider. If they are unable to get an appointment or do not have a health care provider or do not have insurance they should call HCS for an appointment.
Caregivers of infants less than 6-months-old, and health care workers and EMS responders with direct patient care also rank as priority groups.
County Health Officials are asking that people who are not in these priority groups be patient and wait until those at greatest risk can be vaccinated. They are also asking San Juan County residents to please call ahead for an appointment before going to any health care provider’s office to minimize delays and potential health hazards.
County Health Officials say that they have planned vaccination clinics this week for youngsters in childcare centers – administering the nasal vaccine which arrived on Friday. This type of vaccine can be given only to healthy kids without a history of wheezing or chronic illness. The pre-school group is being prioritized as young children are most vulnerable and most likely to spread the illness.
Vaccine shipments have begun to arrive, but still in small amounts and health officials say that some people in at-risk groups will need to wait for the next shipment.
The priority groups will be broadened as more vaccine arrives. Information on the current priority groups and the availability of vaccine is available online at: https://sanjuanco.com/flu/h1n1vaccine.aspx
