Immediate Release
October 29, 2009
Little Rock -The Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) reported that through mid-day 36 out of 38 Mass Flu Clinics underway today had given 27,729 seasonal flu doses and 4,028 doses of H1N1 vaccine.
The fifty-four remaining Mass Flu Clinics are scheduled for Friday, October 30, and Saturday, October 31.
These numbers are in addition to doses already administered at school flu clinics statewide.
The ADH will have seasonal vaccine available for the general public at the total 92 Mass Flu Clinics scheduled for every county in the state today through Saturday. However due to the H1N1 vaccine shortage nationally, the H1N1 vaccine will be available only for pregnant women and children ages 6 months through 4 years of age and children ages 5-18 with underlying medical conditions until supplies run out during the clinics.
“Because of the extreme shortage of vaccine available for the Mass Flu Clinics, the ADH has further limited vaccine availability for children at the Mass Flu Clinics only to include children ages 5 to18 with underlying medical conditions,” said Paul K. Halverson, DrPH FACHE, ADH director and state health officer.
As Arkansas gets more H1N1 vaccine, those doses will continue to be given to priority groups first. Priority groups include pregnant women, children ages 6 months through 24 years, health care workers and emergency medical responders, people caring for infants under 6 months of age, and people ages 25-64 years with underlying health conditions.
The ADH expects to eventually receive enough H1N1 vaccine for any Arkansan that would like to receive the vaccine. It is important that every Arkansan get both the seasonal and H1N1 flu vaccine during this flu season. Additional Mass Flu Clinics will be scheduled at later dates.
“In a few locations earlier today, the combination of bad weather, heavy demand and a limited supply of H1N1 vaccine created a rocky start at some clinics. We wish that we would have had sunny skies so that families and children wouldn’t have to have been in damp, cold conditions. We appreciate the public’s patience and understanding as we undertake the largest mass vaccination effort in the state’s history,” Halverson added.
For more information on novel H1N1 influenza A (Swine Flu) and seasonal flu, click on www.healthyarkansas.com or www.cdc.gov.
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