H1N1 Virus Information & Prevention

SAGINAW COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH

Fact Sheet for 2009 H1N1 Vaccine

When will the 2009 H1N1 vaccine become available?

  • It is expected that the 2009 H1N1 vaccine will shipped from manufacturers beginning on 9/30/09. The Saginaw County Department of Public Health will begin to expect shipments the beginning of October.

Who is eligible to receive the 2009 H1N1 vaccine?

  • The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has identified target and priority immunization groups as recipients of the 2009 H1N1 Influenza vaccine.
  • People in the tarcle immunization group include:
    1. Pregnant women
    2. People caring for children less than 6 months of age
    3. Health care workers
    4. People ages 6 months through 24 years of age
    5. People ages 25 through 64 years of age with chronic medical conditions
  • People in the priority immunization group include:
    1. Pregnant women
    2. People caring for children less than 6 months of age
    3. Health care workers with direct patient care
    4. People ages 6 months through 4 years of age
    5. People ages 5 through 18 years of age with chronic medical conditions
  • Initial quantities of the vaccine will be limited and therefore the priority group should be given the vaccine before lower priority groups. As additional vaccine becomes available, wider groups may be identified.

Where can I get the 2009 H1N1 vaccine?

  • Saginaw County will be enrolling local healthcare providers to receive and administer the 2009 H1N1 vaccine. The Saginaw County Department of Public Health will also be setting up vaccination clinics for H1N1. Other providers such as pharmacies may also carry the vaccine. Please visit our website for clinic schedules once they are posted at www.saginawpublichealth.org

How much will the 2009 H1N1 vaccine cost?

  • There will no charge for the 2009 H1N1 vaccine; however, there may be a fee for the administration of the vaccine.

Is the 2009 H1N1 vaccine safe?

  • It is expected that the 2009 H1N1 vaccine will have a similar safety report as seasonal flu vaccines, which have a very good safety track record. The most common side effects following flu vaccinations are mild, such as soreness, redness, tenderness or swelling where the shot was given. The CDC and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will be closely monitoring for any signs that the vaccine is causing unexpected bad events.

Will two doses of the 2009 H1N1 vaccine be required?

  • The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the use of one dose of 2009 H1N1 vaccine for persons 10 years of age and older. At this time, FDA has approved two doses for children 6 months of age to 9 years of age. For those children that require two doses, there will be a waiting period of 21-28 days between the first and second vaccination.

Priority Groups for 2009 H1N1 Vaccine

These priority groups should be given the A 2009 Novel H1N1 Influenza vaccine as soon as it becomes available and before lower priority groups. The prioritization is necessary because of the low production of A 2009 Novel H1N1 Influenza vaccine due to technical reasons. A 2009 Novel H1N1 Influenza priority groups are based on epidemiological data that shows that the above groups are at greater risk for infection and hospitalization compared to people not in high priority groups.

Vaccine Info

  • States and cities began placing- orders for the 2009 H1N1 vaccine on Wednesday, September 30, 2009.
  • As of Monday, October 5th, a total of 57 out of 62 states and/or jurisdictions have placed orders, and more are expected to place orders daily.
  • As of Monday, October 5th, a total of 2.2 million doses of 2009 H1N1 vaccine were ordered.
  • First doses of 2009 H1N1 vaccine were administered outside of the clinical trials on Monday, October 5, 2009.
  • Saginaw County has not received ANY shipments of 2009 H1N1 vaccine to date.
  • 600 Doses have been ordered as of 10/07/09. Delivery date is unknown.
  • Currently Saginaw County has been allocated 3,300 doses of "live" vaccine, and 2,000 doses of the injectable vaccine.
  • Flu-mist is only available for persons 2 - 49 years of age without underlying medical conditions; therefore, this initial shipment may be targeted for healthcare workers with direct patient care.
  • The currently available injectable vaccine is licensed for anyone 4 years of age and up.
  • Weekly shipments are expected to continue as vaccine production continues.
  • Anyone 1O and over is expected to receive one dose of the 2009 H1N1 vaccine, however, early results show that children 9 and under will need two doses.
  • Private providers and retail pharmacies will be given the option to enroll in the H1N1 program. Saginaw County currently has 36 providers enrolled to administer H1N1 vaccine.

SCDPH Activities

  • Determined our estimates of target and priority group immunization numbers for Saginaw County. Roughly 88,000 people fall into the target group and 22,000 fall into the priority group.
  • Holding weekly planning team meetings with our incident command staff assigned for H1N1 Response.
  • Discussed plans on community vaccination efforts by providers, retail pharmacies, and SCDPH. - determined our triggers for opening community based mass vaccination clinics.
  • Provided schools with updated H1N1 guidance documents from CDC; met with superintendents to discuss school mitigation efforts, school dismissal and reporting during this influenza season; created a school workgroup to discuss school needs for prevention efforts
  • SCDPH has sent guidance documents to local providers on treatment and testing for H1N1 and will continue to update the healthcare community as needed.
  • Providing updated information to groups, agencies, etc.. as needed
  • Collaborating with surrounding counties on H1N1 response
  • Participate in bi-weekly conference calls with the MDCH
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