More people can get next round of swine flu shots

Swine flu immunizations will be offered at 10 sites in Snohomish County on Saturday, and demand is expected to be high.

“Come dressed for the weather and be prepared for wait lines,” said Rick Mockler, deputy director of the Snohomish Health District. “We apologize for the waits, but we’re trying to get the vaccine out to as many people as possible.”

Unlike last weekend, when the immunization was offered only to pregnant women and young children, this time immunization will be available to far more people.

While pregnant women can get the immunization this time, too, other groups added to the eligibility list include teachers and child-care providers; anyone from 6 months through 24 years of age; household and caregiver contacts of children younger than 6 months of age, such as parents, siblings and day-care providers; people 25 to 64 years old who have medical conditions such as diabetes and heart problems that put them at higher risk of complications from influenza; and health care and emergency response workers.

The vaccines will be offered Saturday at special one-day clinics, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., or as long as supplies last, in Stanwood, Edmonds, Monroe, Everett, Snohomish, Arlington, Marysville, Tulalip and Mill Creek.

“Success would be us being able to administer every dose of vaccine we’ve got,” said Tim McDonald, who oversees communicable disease issues at the Snohomish Health District.

In Snohomish County, an estimated 300,000 people are in one of the priority groups that can get the vaccination on Saturday, Mockler said. They’re given priority because they’re at higher risk of serious health complications, such as pneumonia, or even dying from swine flu.

Others who want to be immunized, including seniors, will have to hold off until there’s more vaccine available, which may not be until December or January.

Seniors are not on the priority list for swine flu immunizations because unlike seasonal flu, proportionally they are not being hit as hard by the swine flu virus as younger people.

Meanwhile, swine flu, also called H1N1, continues to spread rapidly throughout the county. At Providence Regional Medical Center Everett, 19 patients were hospitalized with influenza symptoms on Wednesday, four of whom were in the critical care unit, said spokeswoman Cheri Russum.

Dr. Gary Goldbaum, health officer for the Snohomish Health District, has recommended that hospitals throughout the county screen visitors for flulike symptoms and discourage them from visiting patients, limit visitors to two per patient and limit patient visitors to those older than 12.

Last week, 34 schools in the county were reporting absentee rates of 10 percent or higher. Goldbaum has recommended that schools cancel or postpone events that involve overnight stays in close quarters.

To help curb the spread of disease, health officials urge both students and adults to stay home when they have flulike symptoms, such as fever, sore throat and body aches.

Even as health-care organizations Wednesday were ramping up plans for the special flu vaccine clinics on Halloween, they still weren’t sure exactly how much vaccine will be available. Estimates range from a minimum of 12,000 doses to more than double that. Public health officials will have a better idea today when more vaccine is expected to be delivered.

No thimerosal-free vaccines for pregnant women will be available at Saturday’s immunization clinics. The available supply of vaccine without the preservative has been sent to medical clinics throughout the county that treat pregnant women, health officials said.

While lines started out long last weekend but diminished as the day went on, at this weekend’s clinics, “definitely people should pack patience,” said Chris Badger, a spokeswoman for the countywide flu immunization planning effort.

Wait times for each site will be posted at the county’s influenza Web site www.snocoflu.com, so if lines are long at one location, people can check to see if they’re shorter elsewhere.

As one measure of demand for the vaccine, the county’s flu hotline has been getting calls from people living as far away as Canada, asking if they can get the swine flu immunization here.

“We’re just being flooded with phone calls,” said April Zepeda, a spokeswoman for The Everett Clinic. “Everyone wants to know when, when, when.”

Sharon Salyer: 425-339-3486, salyer@heraldnet.com.