H1N1 Vaccine Priority Groups

We want to provide some clarification on how the H1N1 vaccine is being distributed amongst priority groups across the state.

When the CDC originally outlined these groups, they also recommended that if the vaccine was initially only available in limited qualities that these groups would need to be sub-prioritized. Unfortunately, due to an unprecedented flu season involving the need to produce 2 different types of vaccines, there have been interruptions in the production and distribution of the H1N1 vaccine and we have only received a small percentage of our total allocation from the federal government.

Based on the CDC recommendations, this limited supply is reserved for people at especially high risk for flu, which includes pregnant women, children, caregivers of infants and healthcare workers with direct patient contact. As supplies grow, this will expand to include the additional priority groups of young adults up to the age of 24, and people between the ages of 25 and 64 with underlying health conditions like asthma and diabetes.

We expect the number of doses of H1N1 vaccine in the state to exceed 1 million by the end of November. As it arrives, we will continue to work to ensure that the vaccine that is available goes to these high priority groups. We thank you for your patience and understanding.

Comments

[Ed]

My town is now distributing the vaccine to young adults, but the town nurse laughed at me when I asked about distribution to high-risk adults over the age of 24. Most all the deaths I have seen in the news, are in people with other health issues like asthma making them high risk. Why aren't high-risk adults part of the priority groups?

[terri mulne]

My 22 y/o son is on antibiotics for 5 days for a mild case of bronchitis. We were going to get the vaccine today. Is it still recommended to take the vaccine when he is sick and on antibiotics? There is only one site available this weekend toget the vaccine and no postings beyond this weekend.

[CD]

My child is 22 months and has athsma, and I have not been able to find a way to have her vaccinated. My town has indicated that the first clinical will be held only for those ages 11-24. How can this be if it has been clearly indicated that young children, especially with underlying risk factors are supposed to be top priority?

[Bernard Farrell]

I finally realized why none of my comments have been posted. It's because I was foolish enough to complete the web site URL.

Despite being in a high priority group because of asthma and diabetes, I cannot find anywhere that will provide me with the vaccine, or even a possible date when they may have the vaccine. And I've contacted my various doctors about this.

I sincerely hope that Massachusetts and the Federal Government will do a better job of notification and distribution next time round, because so far it's just been a lesson in frustration.

[steffie]

I just saw on the news that people with autoimmune diseases are among the high priority population for the H1N1 vaccine. No age was mentioned. If I am over 65 and have Crohn's disease, which is very definitely an autoimmune disease, and mild COPD can't I get the vaccine when it becomes available?

My husband has asthma and is under 65 and he can't find anywhere to get the vaccine. Something is wrong here. His pulmonary doc gave him a note to give to whoever/wherever shots are being given that he must have one........the doc is not getting any vaccine in himself. What good is a note if there is none around?

[Sharon]

I'm a family daycare provider, all my daycare kids are 4 and under, one being only 4 months, which puts me at high risk. However, I am on the low end of the high-risk group. Public school teacher are above me, but when was the last time a middle-school teacher had direct physical contact with every student? Our Board of Health nurse didn't even have family daycare providers one her list!

[Elaine Matthews]

Why is it people 65 years and older do not need or are not allowed to get the H1N1 flu shot?

[Irv Birgrage]

Summarizing the various comments below: Posters believe (with cause, it seems to me) that the Commonwealth is not only doing a lousy job getting people immunized, it is doing a lousy job telling people who will be immunized in the future, and when that future immunization will occur. If you want to look for a silver lining, I suppose you can be pleased that whoever is moderating this site is allowing people to point out just how lousy a job the Commonwealth is doing.

[Pie]

I am quite confused as to why vaccines are going to this Doctor and that Doctor, and this workplace and that workplace, rather than being distributed explicitly to priority groups through the Department of Health. I admit that my husband and I were vaccinated through a work program where they had the live vaccine BUT my 14 month old daughter - who due to her young age (and presence in daycare)is in a priority group and who we would love to have vaccinated, seems to have no way to receive it. We have been both lucky and unlucky in this disorganized mess and our situation only highlights what a seeming joke it is to have explicit priority groups but then not make the vaccine available to them.

There needs to be clarification for parents about the statement that "children" are in the high risk group. This statement IS NOT in agreement with the fact that most pediatricians are not receiving enough vaccines for all of their patients and therefor are creating priority groups amongst children. Are or are not ALL children a priority group?

[Jeanne Yocum]

To those who are wondering why people age 65 and older aren't in a priority group, it's because they probably have some built-in immunity due to being exposed to similar viruses that were around until about 1950. Anyone born before that year may have some degree of immunity. Anyone born after that has no immunity at all because they have never been exposed to this particular type of virus.

[Heather C]

So, if the vaccines are being saved for the "at risk population" how do those that fall under the "at risk population" get them? All that we are being told is that we will get them first but that is really not that useful of information. My son's doctor just suggests calling there office until they get it...not helpful.

[Katharine]

I have a 7-month-old daughter who has chronic respiratory issues and I am unable to find a shot of the h1n1 vaccine even though I have been searching since they began to become available. I am also a high school teacher and I know that several of my adolescent students with no ongoing health issues have been given the shots despite the fact that they can receive the mist. I have called my city's health department, all of the hospitals in the area, I'm in constant contact with my pediatrician's office to no avail. Additionally, I've called the state deparment of public health as well as the office of Health and Human services. Yet despite my diligent search and assurances by the state agencies that they are working to get the vaccines out to the public my daughter is exposed and I am terrified. It is especially concerning that the shots are being given out to healthy adults across the country despite the fact that they could get the mist, and, quite frankly, should not be getting the vaccine until children, especially babies receive it! I am outraged and wondering why the Massachusetts Department of Public Health isn't fixing the problem! Watching the national news nightly it seems like other states are handling this much more efficiently!

[Marley]

To Kay:

My daughters are both in the same situation: they received the first dose of vaccine, but the doctor said there may not be enough to receive the booster.

He did say, however, that even with one dose, children should be at least 35-65% protected. He said it's hard to be more specific with numbers since the virus is so new.

[MaryC]

I have to repeat the question. Where can a pregnant woman get access to the vaccine? No one is able to answer this question for me.

[Susan]

People age 65 with health issues are not mentioned at all in the priorities. Are we just flat out of luck? I would certainly want to see the vaccine go to children and pregnant women first, but I would like to think we would be eligible for the vaccine at some point.

[edie]

This has also been a sore subject with me. I have been following this for some time now, being a M.PH student and also a mom to 7 children, one of which is a leukemia survivor who has left ventricle heart enlargment r/t adriamycin toxicity and another child who receives Remicade for crohn's disease. Nothing has irritated me more than trying to get my children vaccinated against this highly dangerous influenza and basically given an attitude that suggests my children are expendable. But yet I can read in the news today that Mr. Obama's children received the vaccine. Where's the fairness? I am also a nurse and I have neard people on the fence for months now "oh the vaccine is too new, I dont know if I am going to get it for my kids, etc" Okay so, now supposedly its here, well where are all these doses?

[Terri]

Should my children receive a pneumonia vaccine now as a precaution, while they wait for the H1N1 to become available?

[Frustrated Parent]

From today's LA Times: (10/28)

"In Las Vegas, where free clinics have been distributing 600 vaccines an hour, officials this week were distributing only nasal spray vaccines, and limiting them to those ages 2 to 24, healthcare workers with patient contact and caregivers of children younger than 6 months old."
Please reconsider ages 10-24 in your priority groups as they are doing in Las Vegas. CDC has established ages 2-24 as high priority groups, here in Mass it is 2-9 years.

[Brian]

I still haven't read/heard DPH answer the question - where do the top sub-priority groups get the vaccine? My primary care physician does not expect to get any vaccine soon, and our kids' pediatrician will not immunize my wife and I as we are not his patients (we are on priority list as parents of 3 month olds that are too young to be immunized). So we are told that we are a top priority, but are not able to attain the vaccine and will still be unable to even when supply increases somewhat (as there will be no change in the situation at the 2 places that we culd get immunized). Can DPH please answer - HOW DO HIGH PRIORITY PEOPLE ACTAULLY GET THE VACCINE??

[Robert]

Letter written to:
Senator Joe Lieberman
Senator Paul Kirk
Kathleen Sebelius, Health and Human Services Secretary
John Auerbach, Commissioner of Public Heath

I am writing you because I am deeply concerned about how the distribution of the tax payer funded H1N1 vaccine has been handled at all levels of the distribution chain. I am particularly concerned about being forced to rely on thousands of separate institutions/individual providers to be the ultimate gate keeper of vaccine distribution

Why is it that my wife who is pregnant in her third trimester with asthma cannot get access to the available H1N1 vaccine? What higher risk group is there? Don’t forget that putting a pregnant woman at risk puts two lives at risk.

How is it that many people in non high risk categories are receiving the H1N1 vaccine while others like my wife are denied access? What oversight by federal and state authorities is being provided to ensure those most at risk receive access first?

Please review my attached letters to my wife's hospital to see why I am requesting an investigation by both state and federal authorities into my stated concerns. We need to ensure that those given the responsibility to provide the H1N1 vaccine are held accountable to provide the vaccine - first and foremost - to those most at risk.

[Elizabeth]

I am a pregnant woman who keeps reading about how I am in a "priority group" but am still unable to get the shot. I am getting so fed up! I can not believe the vaccine is so delayed, and I am absolutely astonished that the state's reaction to this problem is to have "priority" groups calling all over the state every day searching for a place to get the vaccine! Unbelievable!

[Susan Tardif]

What do you do when your primary care has not registered to obtain flu vaccine(and there a thousands of them). I have a co-worker who's husband had a kidney transplant, his wife is a nurse and she has been calling all over Mass and NH for information--no one knows anything. I have a son who is diabetic and a daughter is respiratory immune system is compromised. My daughter called primary care and secretary was told they were not getting any in and they did not register.

[C. Randall]

As the mother of a child who falls into the high risk category and works in private health care, I can certainly understand everyone's frustration with finding flu clinics. Working in health care, I can't even find a site. If someone's child does fall into a high risk category and they are regularly seen by their pedi, keep updated through their website as they will post clinics as soon as they have confirmed their shipments. One of my children has received 1 of the 2 shots he needs and my other child has not. 1 shot, 2 kids, it can be frustrating. Keep washing hands, sneezing into inner elbows and reduce your childrens out of home activities until more vaccines come in. It is only the very beginning of the flu season and there will be plenty on the way. Good Luck Everyone. Stay Healthy.

[Frustrated mom]

Cheryl, my husband has been vaccinated before me and I'm 5 months pregnant (he is a healthy male in his 30's). Fortunately, my 3 year old has gotten all of her vaccinations already. At least the pediatricians are on board!

[Florence]

What about cancer patients and their caregivers?

[lindsay]

I have a 14 month old daughter that I would like to receive the swine flu vaccine. However, the vaccination is not available yet. When I called my daughters doctor they said to wait until the end of November. I am sick of being told to be patient. If only 50% of the population wants the vaccine then why isn't it available to those who do? This is ridiculous. I am afraid for my child.

[Kay]

I was lucky to have my three year old vaccinated last Friday for the H1N1 but they are unsure whether there will be a booster available in 4 weeks. What happens then? Do I need to start over?

[Very frustrated]

Frustrated mom--I have been searching for this answer as well. No one can answer it. I've been told to go through my provider or wait for "public clinics." Well, my town is expecting h1n1 vaccine "sometime later this year." Not helpful.

[Frustrated mom]

But how do people in priority groups (ie pregnant women) get the vaccine when their OB is not even registered to get the vaccine and their primary care providers won't receive it as they do not handle high priority groups? CAN SOMEONE PLEASE ANSWER THIS ONE? I keep getting the runaround.

[cheryl]

I'm pregnant with twins - wouldn't that put me in the high risk category - then why can't I get find any vaccines ???

I have heard many stories of pregnant women with young children not being able to find vaccines, yet their husbands were able to be vaccinated. Explain that ??

[Erika]

Where is the H1N1 vaccine availiable in Massachusetts for priority groups? It would be helpful if this information was made available.