Flu vaccine now rationed
Published 9:00 pm Friday, December 12, 2003
After giving shots to 3,400 children and adults in four days this week, the Snohomish Health District now says it will have to save its remaining supply of flu vaccine for those most likely to become seriously ill from the flu.
"Our supply is very low, not more than a few hundred doses of child and adult vaccine," spokeswoman Suzanne Pate said Friday evening.
That means no more public flu shot clinics will be scheduled. The clinics had people standing in line for up to two hours this week.
The remaining vaccine will be reserved for people at high risk of becoming very sick from the flu. They include healthy children ages 6 months to 23 months; adults 65 and older; women who are in their second or third trimester of pregnancy; and children 2 years or older who have underlying chronic health conditions.
Patients can schedule appointments for the shots at the health district’s Lynnwood or Everett clinics beginning Wednesday. Appointments will be made only for people who are considered high-risk, Pate said.
The policy of reserving flu vaccine for high-risk patients will remain in effect for the foreseeable future, Pate said, because there’s no way of knowing whether the countywide public health agency will get more vaccine.
On Thursday, the state Health Department said it had received 2,900 doses of childhood flu vaccine, which it was distributing. Specific numbers weren’t available Friday, but the Snohomish Health District is expected to get between 500 and 600 doses.
Pate said the vaccine had not arrived by Friday evening.
Demand for the vaccine is believed to be at near unprecedented levels nationally. In Snohomish County, most area clinics say they don’t have any of the shots left.
The run on the vaccine began after the flu season hit early and hard. Nationally, at least 20 children have died after having the flu. Earlier this month, a 29-year-old man died at Stevens Hospital in Edmonds after being tentatively diagnosed a few days before with influenza A.
Hospital officials said they were told the man had previously been in good health.
Additional tests are being conducted to confirm whether he had the flu. In addition, the Snohomish County Medical Examiner’s Office is investigating the cause of his death.
Reporter Sharon Salyer:
425-339-3486 or
