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Uploaded: Tuesday, November 10, 2009, 3:39 PM
Counties getting bigger doses of H1N1 vaccine
State to increase supply of vaccinations due to underserving Santa Clara and San Mateo counties in past shipments
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by John Squire
Palo Alto Online Staff
Santa Clara and San Mateo counties are about to get larger doses of H1N1 vaccines because they have so far come up short in state allocations.
Both counties are now at the top of a priority list for receiving shipments of the "swine flu" vaccine, according to Robin Thaw, public information officer for the San Mateo County Public Health Department.
An internal e-mail stated that San Mateo County has only received 30 percent of its allotted vaccine doses and Santa Clara has received 33 percent, and would now be considered high priorities for the California Department of Public Health, which is in charge of distributing the vaccines, Thaw said.
Other California counties have received about 45 percent of what they requested, Thaw said.
But this weekend there will still be long lines of "priority" persons who should have H1N1 vaccinations due to the additional vaccine not arriving until later, according to Joy Alexiou, information officer for the Santa Clara County Public Health Department.
No lines are expected in San Mateo County, which requires residents to get vaccinated by their health care providers rather than through county vaccination clinics as in Santa Clara County.
"We feel this is the best strategy. There is no control with mass vaccinations. That's where a lot of the frustration comes from," Thaw said.
Santa Clara County residents waited in lengthy lines Saturday (Nov. 9), at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds to get vaccinated. Alexiou said the clinic is for people don't have insurance and for those whose providers don't yet have the vaccine. Most of the vaccine is going to providers, she said.
Another special clinic is planned for this Sunday (Nov. 15) at the fairgrounds, and officials are asking residents to get there early and prepare to wait.
About 5,000 shots will be available on Sunday, and 500 to 1,000 shots will be available Saturday (Nov. 14) at Valley Health Centers across the county. Details are at www.sccphd.org/.
The only people the county will vaccinate are pregnant women, children between 6 months and 24 years, people who live with or provide care to children younger than 6 months, and adults with medical conditions that put them at risk.
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Posted by bikes2work, a member of the Santa Rita (Los Altos) community, on Nov 12, 2009 at 10:06 am "Alexiou said the clinic is for people don't have insurance and for those whose providers don't yet have the vaccine. Most of the vaccine is going to providers, she said."
None of the vaccine appears to be going to PAMF. All PAMF is doing is putting up YouTube videos about why they don't have any vaccine. Web Link
I guess I'll go wait in a long line this weekend to take get my kids vaccine that would otherwise be taken by someone without insurance.
Nice...
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Posted by Alison, a resident of Mountain View, on Nov 12, 2009 at 1:40 pm I sent an email to Joy Alexiou, who is quoted in the article, to confirm about Santa Clara's policy regarding vaccination and if they are in fact relying on the clinics to vaccinate the population. Here is what she said:
It isn't accurate. Here's how its working here…
Most of the vaccine supplied to Santa Clara County has gone to private healthcare providers. Both public and private healthcare providers in Santa Clara County are receiving more vaccine from manufacturers this week. This shipment does not include the Kaiser system, which previously received its own supply of the vaccine. People who are high risk for illness or complications from this flu are asked to first contact their provider to see if they have the vaccine.
To be eligible to receive the vaccine, medical providers were required to sign up with the California Department of Public Health. Providers in Santa Clara County who are receiving the H1N1 vaccine include local hospitals, clinics, private medical groups and practices. All providers have been instructed to follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines to provide the vaccine to those in one of the risk groups for the time being.
Because the supply of the vaccine is still limited, the Public Health Department continues to hold public vaccination clinics for those in the high risk groups.
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Posted by palo alto mom, a resident of the Duveneck/St. Francis neighborhood, on Nov 12, 2009 at 2:04 pm PAMF received some H1N1 vaccine which is going to high risk patients only. These patients have already been contacted by their doctor to come in.
Any idea why Kaiser got their own supply?
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Posted by bikes2work, a member of the Santa Rita (Los Altos) community, on Nov 12, 2009 at 4:20 pm "Any idea why Kaiser got their own supply?"
I don't know, but I'm starting to consider a switch to Kaiser. PAMF with Blue Shield has been a complete disappointment.
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Posted by Linda, a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood, on Nov 12, 2009 at 7:06 pm I live in San Carlos and can't get the vaccine for my family or myself. NONE of my healthcare providers have it. Why does San Mateo County make us go to private providers to get the shot, when NO DOCTOR THAT I KNOW OF HAS IT??!! I would rather stand in line at a public clinic and at least know that we're protected.
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Posted by Not a good choice, a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood, on Nov 12, 2009 at 7:37 pm I think it's a marketing ploy by Kaiser. Bikes2work, change to Kaiser and you'll leave them after you are misdiagnosed.
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Posted by sw, a resident of the Duveneck/St. Francis neighborhood, on Nov 13, 2009 at 7:54 am I heard from a doctor friend of mine who works at Kaiser, they got more doses because they applied for both Federal as well as State allocations for the H1N1 vaccine. PAMF, on the other hand only applied for one of the two and hasn't nearly gotten nearly enough.
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Posted by anyonmus, a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood, on Nov 13, 2009 at 11:49 am I got my kids done in sunnyvale after waiting in 6 hr line. PAMF has no shots and my kids have asthma. I have not had good service at PAMF, they are worse than Kaiser in many ways. Not surprised they don't have the vaccine, they are not on the ball. I got the shot from my provider in RWC but I have asthma.
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Posted by Redwood City resident, a resident of another community, on Nov 25, 2009 at 3:40 pm PAMF as dropped the ball on this H1N1 pandemic. I can't believe they don't haven't received enough vaccines to give out to their members! I've heard many Kaiser members say they've recieved theirs. I'm so disappointed at PAMF!
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Posted by Otherwise Better, a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood, on Nov 25, 2009 at 9:15 pm I'm disappointed at PAMF too. This is the only thing that Kaiser has outdone others on. I would never change to Kaiser Health Care.
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