H1N1 Vaccine Recommendations Expanded to All Residents

To date, DPH has distributed over two million doses of the H1N1 vaccine -- enough to protect the vast majority of our highest risk residents against the H1N1 flu. Recently, we have received several large shipments of vaccine, and we expect to continue to receive additional large amounts in the near future. As a result, we will begin to offer the vaccine to all residents who wish to receive it, although our focus will remain on vaccinating members of the priority groups. We have also asked local public health departments to begin planning large-scale public flu clinics open to all residents.

Although some towns may have already scheduled clinics for high-risk groups in the coming weeks, and they may decide to open them to all comers, we expect many more open clinics will be offered in early January. While each town will be able to begin offering open clinics at different times, we completely trust the judgment of each local public health department to determine when and how to schedule these clinics.

As these clinics are planned they will be posted on http://flu.masspro.org and we encourage everyone to check back often for updates. All public clinics will offer the vaccine free of charge; however if you do have insurance, we encourage you to bring your insurance card. This will help defray costs incurred by local officials in holding clinics. In any event, please be assured that no one will be charged or turned away.

While the amount of flu we are seeing in the state has dropped in recent weeks, we very well could see another spike in illness in the coming months. Therefore, we encourage everyone to take advantage of this opportunity as soon as a clinic is available near you. In the meantime, please continue to practice good health hygiene. This includes coughing or sneezing into a tissue or into your elbow instead of into your hand, and washing your hands often with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, especially after you cough or sneeze.

We encourage all residents to utilize the comments section on this blog to engage with us and each other. While we cannot respond to every comment or question directly, we find them very helpful to understand your questions and concerns and plan for future posts.

Comments

[Fred]

This doesn't add up. 2 million doses distributed in a state of 6.4 million people and it's still impossible to get? I am a high risk person (diabetic age 46) and my Dr doesn't have it - they got a little and ran out, my town gets a little but the clinics fill up immediately, and Newton-Wellesley hospital clinic is out too. Please let us know the full situation and when we will really see these 2 million doses and the more that is supposedly coming. Are they in a warehouse waiting on distribution problems? Are they really there?

[Kay]

I live in Boston,and not in a priority category. and have tried to get information about H1N1 vaccine clinics from my provider and from the Boston Health Dept. No information available. You should stop telling everyone it is widely available when it is not and no information is available from local providers.

[Maddy]

I have read they have lots of vaccine and it's available to anyone now but sadly it is not.

Ludlow MA DPH is not posting any H1N1 flu clinics for our town. My MD's office doesn't have any available. Yet, about 30 miles up the road in Leverett and So Deerfield they have had H1N1 flu clinics for the general population.

Looks to me like the availability is there, just that some areas are organized and others are still "mucking" around. You can't get a straight answer from any of them.

Let's get the show on the road and get people immunized. Just don't tell us it's available if it's not.

[John]

I am a health care provider and the DPH continues to say that so much vaccine has been given out (true) but individual sites still have no ongoing supply that is unlimited. I think it is shortsighted to imply non-high risk pts can get vaccine (esp those over age 64) when you are not prepared to furnish unlimited vaccine at the drop of a hat. We have 80 doses of H1N1 on hand only and still lots of pts age 18-64 (without restrictions - your last advice a week ago).

I think you should retract this advisory and think of your supply chain for ALL providers whom you continue to put in a hard position of looking stupid by considering population vaccination data as opposed to what is happening to those "in the trenches" dut to a difficult and mismanaged distribution system.

I am a PCP in a CHC and even have this problem.

[Patti]

There is a whole other world west of 495 and 128.
Why is it we haven't had nearly any clinics????????
We notice around Boston there are numerous clinics

[Denise]

The state should be distributing vaccine to physicians' offices now, instead of just calling for more public clinics. Many people don't have time to stand on line for hours.

[blkkat]

In Patrick Murrays statement on 12-17-09 he states we have had 2 large shipments of vaccine in the past 2 weeks, (ie since 12-03-09) and we can't get these out in clinics before the 1st of the year?? What is with the government, why can't we move quicker it's already been 2 weeks what is the holdup.
If I personally shipped these out fedex it would be cheaper and faster than what you people are doing. We pay a lot of fat cats to do nothing all chiefs no indians.................

[Joy Lydon]

I called Norton town hall today and apparently they will not vaccinate my high risk 11 month old child! Neither will none of the local pharmacies that offer the vaccines. They say the child has to be over the age of two. Well what am I supposed to do if I've been calling my pediatrician weekley since September and they still don't have they H1N1 vaccination available? There are signs posted at mine and my husband's physician saying that any child over the age of 6months is high risk. A solution to this problem would be very helpful as my daughter needs the vaccination.

[Susan]

I don't understand this.

I am in a high risk group (actually in MULTIPLE high risk groups, and a volunteer first responder as well!) and my health plan has promised to call me as soon as the vaccine is available. This weeks update from them was that the DPH has still not given them enough vaccine for their high risk members, only enough for pregnant women and very young kids.

So WHY can just anyone who is lucky enough to live in a town that's gotten a lot of vaccine get a shot, when high risk people all over the state are NOT yet protected? At LEAST those towns that have vaccine should be required to open their clinics to ALL high-risk patients, regardless of residency, instead of the "town residents only" stuff they are doing. Make it "town-only" for GENERAL groups, but please, protect those of us at high risk who have followed the rules and not kept calling and complaining or trying to jump the line.