News release - October 30

Date: October 30, 2009

Contact: Dave Cox, 360-772-6352


Skamania Vaccine Information

Skamania County Community Health is working in partnership with other Southwest Washington health jurisdictions to respond to H1N1 influenza in our communities. We have been working with our schools and childcare centers to administer vaccine to school age and pre-school children. Pregnant women, healthcare and EMS workers have been vaccinated as well. Because we have received a very limited amount of vaccine to date, we are currently providing vaccine to the following groups only:
· Pregnant women
· Healthcare workers with direct patient contact
· Children ages 6 months to 19 years
· Parents and caregivers of children younger than 6 months old.

By vaccinating these groups first, public health protects those at greatest risk while reducing the spread of H1N1 into the community. As supplies increase, those next in line to receive the vaccine are people ages 25 through 64 with chronic health disorders or compromised immune systems. At the same time, we will also make vaccine available for everyone ages 6 months through age 24.
People who are 65 and older are at a lower risk of getting H1N1 flu than the other groups. We anticipate that in the next few months an adequate supply of the vaccine will be available for every person in our county.

If you or your child has the flu, it is very likely that it is H1N1 influenza. Second doses of H1N1 vaccine are required for children ages nine and under after 28 days from their initial dose.

To avoid spreading the flu, please stay at home until any fever is gone for at least 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medicines. Most people do not need a lab test to confirm H1N1 influenza. Testing is necessary only when people are sick enough to be hospitalized.

Unless your case of flu was officially confirmed by a laboratory test as H1N1 2009, there is no way to be sure you are protected and you should get both the H1N1 vaccine and seasonal flu vaccine. If you did have confirmed H1N1, you are still vulnerable to seasonal flu and you should get the seasonal flu vaccine.

For more information visit www.flunewsswashington.org, www.skamaniacounty.org or call Skamania County Community Health at 509- 427-3881 or Region IV Public Health at 1-877-510-2772.