MAHONING VALLEY Flu vaccines dwindling quickly

So far, hospitals aren't seeing an influx of flu cases.
By WILLIAM K. ALCORN
VINDICATOR HEALTH WRITER
Most of the area's public health agencies and private doctors are out or nearly out of flu vaccine as a scare in other states fuels demand here, health officials say.
The exception is the Mahoning County Health District, which has about 2,000 doses left and is planning to administer flu shots from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Friday at its offices at 50 Westchester Drive in Austintown. The cost is $15. No appointment is necessary.
"We've had hundreds of calls," said Linda Ewing, Mahoning County Health District director of nursing services.
"We're hearing from people that their doctors are out of doses, and they are being referred to the county health department," Ewing said.
However, after Friday's clinic, Ewing believes that most of Mahoning County's residents who want shots will have been taken care of.
The weight of the demand for flu vaccine was demonstrated Monday when some 230 to 240 people lined up for shots at the Trumbull County Health Department in Warren, exhausting that agency's supply of doses, said Selene Layton, nursing director.
"We have six doses left," she said, and Warren City Health Department is also out of doses. "From what has been on the news about the flu outbreaks in other areas, it's no wonder we were mobbed."
Dwindling doses
Wayna Hightower, nursing director for the Youngstown City Health District, said she has ordered more flu vaccine from the Ohio Department of Health.
However, she said the new doses are being redistributed to areas that are experiencing early outbreaks of the flu.
"I don't know if we're going to get additional shots or not," Hightower said .
She said her department has received many calls inquiring about flu shots, many saying their private doctors are out of doses.
Other public health departments also report they are out of flu shots.
The Columbiana County Health Department has been out for a week, nursing director Barb Knee said.
The story is the same in East Palestine, Girard and Niles. The East Liverpool Health Department gave out the last of its doses Monday.
No influx of flu
Despite the anxiety leading to a run on flu vaccine, hospitals are not yet reporting a huge influx of flu cases.
The emergency department at Salem Community Hospital is not seeing an unusual number of flu cases, according to Michele Hoffmeister, director of public relations.
Sharon Region Hospital reported a few more cases a little earlier than usual but nothing overwhelming to this point, according to Ed Newmeyer, director of marketing and community relations.
Kathy Smotrila, clinical nurse manager of emergency services at Northside Medical Center, said the hospital is seeing the usual amount of patients that is expected at the beginning of the flu season.
& quot;We've seen a large increase in local employers directing their employees to WorkMed, our occupational health component, for flu shots in the past week," Smotrila said.
Northside is offering flu shots at Austintown Immediate Care on Ohltown Road from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 17. No appointment is needed. The cost is $15 or Medicare eligibility.
Likewise, St. Elizabeth Health Center is not experiencing an unusual number of flu cases as of yet, a spokeswoman said.
Jameson Memorial Hospital Visiting Nurse in New Castle, Pa., gave the last of its 5,500 doses today, said Susan Werner, supervisor.
Werner said the group has had a large number of people calling about the vaccine, particularly parents concerned about their children.
Common misconception
Werner said there may be a misconception about what the flu shot can do. It is really designed to protect against respiratory problems that can lead to severe side affects, not prevent flulike symptoms such as nausea, she said.
The Ohio Department of Health reported 16 laboratory-confirmed flu cases in Ohio so far this flu season and 1,038 cases of people with flulike symptoms. At this time last year, there were 826 cases reported. There are 10,000 to 14,000 cases reported in Ohio each year, an ODH spokesman said.
Also, as of Friday, ODH had distributed all but about 20,000 of the 300,000 doses of flu vaccine it bought for the season.
ODH officials are surveying local health departments to see if any doses are available to be redistributed to areas of higher need. ODH has no way of knowing what is available in the private sector, the spokesman said.
In the meantime, ODH urged residents to continue to shop around and to be persistent seeking flu vaccine. Also, the ODH spokesman said FluMist, the vaccine that is inhaled, is available for healthy people 5 to 49.
alcorn@vindy.com