Swine flu vaccines available soon

The county's first shipment of immunizations for the H1N1 flu virus, commonly called swine flu, are expected to arrive the first week of October.
Ann-Gayl Ellis, public information officer for the Hernando County Health Department, said 1,600 doses of the vaccine in the form of an intra-nasal mist should reach the county "two weeks earlier than we'd first thought."
More doses of the vaccine will arrive each week as they are produced by the manufacturers, said Nina Mattei, emergency planner for the health department.
"We're expecting to have plenty of vaccine and to hold clinics through November," Mattei said. "All the government reports on the vaccine say they are all right on the mark (with distribution)."
Ellis said the nasal mist vaccines are "not meant for everybody," and an injectable version of the vaccine should begin to arrive the third week of October.
"The mist is best for individuals ages 2 to 49 who have no underlying medical conditions, and it is not appropriate for pregnant women," Ellis said.
Asthma is one example of a medical condition that would preclude someone from receiving the nasal vaccine, she said. Others include any condition that compromises the immune system, she added.
Individuals who will first receive vaccines are doctors, nurses, health care providers, nursing home staff, local fire rescue workers and paramedics, she said.
"You need your paramedics to be healthy, you need the nurse who sees 40 patients a day to be healthy and you need the doctor in ICU to be healthy," she said.
The next priority will be individuals ages 5 to 24.
"Young people seem to be in the group that this flu is hitting hard," Ellis said. "Spreading germs is in the job description of a child."
Ellis said many senior citizens are asking why they are not a priority.
"We are not seeing the numbers of ill elderly people as young people," she said. "There's a theory that people born prior to 1957 may have a bit of immunity from exposure to a similar virus."
When the injectable version becomes available, Ellis said, pregnant women will targeted first, followed by children 6 months to 4 years old.
Next in line will be those in the 5 to 24 age group who haven't received the nasal mist.
Distribution of the vaccine is a nationwide effort, Ellis said, and there should be enough vaccines for every Florida resident and visitor.
The health department soon will begin setting up community-based clinics where the vaccines will be given.
"We will be selecting venues that have lots of parking, like possibly the fairgrounds or large clubhouses," she said. "It will be much like our seasonal flu clinics."
Ellis said her office will notify the public on the locations and dates of the clinics in the upcoming weeks. Hernando Today will publish the information as it is released.
There is no cost to receive the vaccines at the county clinics, but local physicians who are provided with vaccines may charge for administration of the doses, Ellis said.
Both Ellis and Mattei emphasized that swine flu and seasonal flu are two separate viruses, and that residents should be prudent by receiving vaccinations for both.
This H1N1 virus was first detected in people in the United States in April. This virus is spreading from person-to-person worldwide, in much the same way that regular seasonal influenza viruses spread. In June, the World Health Organization (WHO) signaled that a pandemic of swine flu was under way.
Ellis offered some common-sense advice to prevent spreading the virus.
"If you're sick go home and don't share your illness with anyone. Keep your kids home when they are sick," she said. "Wash your hands, cover your mouth when you sneeze or cough and get the vaccination when it becomes available."
For more information about the H1N1 virus, call the Florida Flu Information Line at 877-352-3581 or visit www.myflusafety.com.
To reach the county health department's flu hotline, call 352-540-6855 and leave a message.