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Supply of seasonal-flu vaccine runs dry throughout Ohio
Ohio Department of Health said no more seasonal flu vaccine is available for public health departments.
If you haven’t gotten your seasonal-flu shot, you’re pretty much out of luck in Mahoning and Trumbull counties unless your doctor or other private providers still have a stash.
The vaccine manufacturers may gear up and produce more doses later in the year, officials said.
But at this point, public health officials in Mahoning and Trumbull counties say they are out of the seasonal vaccine as of today, and it is not known if or when more will be available.
The Ohio Department of Health said no more seasonal-flu vaccine is available for public health departments.
The seasonal-flu vaccine should not be confused with the H1N1 flu vaccine, which is beginning to arrive at area health care providers.
The H1N1 vaccine should be here in a week or so, said Neil Altman, Youngstown Health Department commissioner, who urged people to get that vaccine when it becomes available.
As with the public health departments, area vaccine providers such as Walgreen drugstores and Giant Eagle grocery stores in the Mahoning Valley, say they have exhausted their supply of seasonal-flu vaccine.
Among organizations still offering seasonal-flu shots are the Visiting Nurse Association at 518 E. Indianola Ave. in Youngstown and the Columbiana County Health Department.
At the VNA, shots for adults are available from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, with no appointment needed. The costs for flu and pneumonia shots are $20 and $45, respectively. Medicare is accepted. Call (330) 782-5606 ok for information.
For Columbiana County Health Department flu shot clinic information, see the seasonal flu vaccine listing in today’s Vindicator.
Also, said Wes Vins, Columbiana County health commissioner, his department is providing H1N1 vaccine to safety and health care personnel and pregnant women, all priority populations, as it becomes available.
Also, Mahoning County Health Department’s final seasonal-flu shot clinic is today from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Clear Channel Radio, 7461 South Ave., in Boardman. The cost is $25 for flu shots and $15 for pneumonia shots.
Record demand, most likely fueled by the public concern over the H1N1 flu, has caused the seasonal- flu vaccine shortfall, said Altman.
As a result, a seasonal-flu shot clinic scheduled by the city health district on Oct. 29 at the Youngstown-Mahoning County Public Library’s main branch at 305 Wick Ave. is cancelled.
Altman said public hysteria over the H1N1 flu is the greatest he has seen since HIV.
People are afraid of H1N1, but all they have to do to protect themselves is get the H1N1 vaccine, he said. Overall, symptoms of the H1N1 flu, which represents most of the current cases, have so far been mild, Altman said.
The seasonal flu causes an average of 36,000 deaths a year in the United States, he said.
Matthew Stefanak, Mahoning County health commissioner, said his department has used all of the 1,500 to 2,000 doses it received, and is hearing that a lot of other health care providers are also running out of the seasonal flu vaccine.
“We have already given as many shots as in 2008. Demand is the highest since 2004 when there was a shortfall of vaccine,” he said.
Stefanak said he is not alarmed because most of the current flu cases are H1N1, for which the seasonal flu vaccine does not provide protection. The peak of the seasonal-flu season is traditionally late winter, February and March. However, he said it not known if more seasonal-flu vaccine will be available before that time.
alcorn@vindy.com