November 1, 2001
No flu shot clinics this year, Hall Health says
Finding a convenient flu shot clinic on campus may not be possible this year. For the 2001-2002 influenza season, the three influenza vaccine manufacturers are predicting that there will be a substantial delay in shipping out vaccine supplies, with only 60 percent of distribution completed thus far, according to officials at Hall Health Primary Care Center.
This year, UW Hall Health has received a very limited supply of flu vaccine. Due to the uncertainty of obtaining further supplies, Hall Health Center cannot schedule and conduct special flu shot clinics at various sites around campus as in the past.
Health care facilities have been advised by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to prioritize the administration of the limited initial quantities of vaccine received. The CDC and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommend the following groups be given highest priority for early vaccination:
- High-risk patients as classified by the ACIP;
- Persons aged 65 years and older;
- Adults and children who have chronic disorders of the pulmonary or cardiovascular systems, including asthma;
- Adults and children who have required regular medical follow-up or hospitalization during the past year because of chronic metabolic disease (including diabetes mellitus), renal dysfunction, blood disorders (hemoglobinopathies), or immunosuppression (e.g., caused by medications or HIV);
- Children and teen-agers (aged 6 months to 18 years) who are receiving long-term aspirin therapy and therefore might be at risk for developing Reye syndrome after influenza;
- Women who will be in the second or third trimester of pregnancy during the flu season;
- Employees who are involved with direct patient care.
UW students and other patients who receive their health care at Hall Health Center, who are in one of the highest priority flu vaccine groups listed above, may receive flu vaccine in the Hall Health Immunization Clinic after clinic registration and recommendation of their primary care provider.
The CDC and ACIP recommend the following groups delay flu vaccination until later in November and December, when additional supplies of the vaccine are made available:
- Patients 50-64 years of age;
- Employees who are not involved in direct patient care.
Individuals who are not Hall Health patients in priority groups but wish immunization with the flu vaccine should consider off-campus resources: pharmacies and supermarkets, for example, will also be sponsoring flu-shot programs. Updated information on local influenza news and vaccine supplies can be found on the Web at http://www.metrokc.gov/health/.
