According to the Seattle and King County Public Health Department, due to the national delays in production, demand for the H1N1 vaccine in King County currently outweighs the supply.
“It’s been a challenge for many to find vaccine,” wrote Communications Manager James Apa in a press release this week. “With the latest deliveries this week, King County has received approximately 165,000 doses of vaccine total since shipments began, and approximately 90,000 more doses are in the process of being ordered and shipped to King County.”
“Given the shortage, our current focus is on getting most of the available supplies to health care providers, so that they can vaccinate patients who are most at risk. As more vaccine becomes available, we’ll continue to provide it to health care providers to vaccinate more of their patients, so we encourage people in the priority groups to continue to stay in touch with their health care providers about vaccine availability.”
Apa said to provide another option for people prioritized to receive H1N1 vaccine, the department is also allocating a limited portion of new vaccine supplies for distribution more widely through public venues.
The 15,000 doses of vaccine made available to pharmacies this week is the beginning of a widening distribution strategy.
For next week, a limited number of pharmacies will be receiving an additional 7,500 doses of vaccine to distribute.
As participating pharmacies start taking new appointments or open up new walk-in clinics, this information will be posted on the department website on an ongoing basis as they receive vaccine.
Go to www.kingcounty.gov/healthservices/health/preparedness/pandemicflu/swineflu/pharmacieswww.kingcounty.gov/healthservices/health/preparedness/pandemicflu/swineflu/pharmacies for the updated list. Pharmacies will continue to receive new allocations of vaccine in future weeks.
Overlake Hospital is offering free H1N1 immunizations to all pregnant women who have an Overlake-affiliated physician and plan to deliver at the hospital’s childbirth center.
