Arizona requested the first 60,000 doses of H1N1 vaccine Tuesday from the Centers for Disease Control. It’s a little more than 1 percent of the vaccine the state expects to receive.
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While the Arizona Health Department did not announce when the vaccine would be available for distribution, public health officials did announce the first 3 million doses in the United States are expected to be in the form of a nasal spray, FluMist. Unlike the injections made with killed virus, this vaccine is “live attenuated influenza vaccine,” approved for people between the ages of 2 and 49.
Once injectable shots arrive, they will go to pregnant women, children under 5, people with chronic underlying health conditions, people who live with or care for those under 6 months of age and health care workers.
While initial supplies of the vaccine will be limited, public health officials believe there should be enough 2009 H1N1 vaccine available in Arizona for anyone who wants it before the end of flu season.
The U.S. has bought 195 million doses of H1N1 vaccine, of which Arizona is expected to get 1.75 percent of the national supply, or 3.4 million doses. While Cochise County’s share is 71,000 doses, county health officials knew the vaccine would not be arriving all at once.
Government health agencies and private health care providers will be administering the vaccine to those who are considered the highest priority. Once the injectable vaccines arrive, these will be the priority groups for the first round of shots:
• Children 6 months through 5 years of age.
• Adults caring for children under 6 months old, as children under 6 months are too young to be vaccinated.
• Children 5 through 18 years of age with underlying conditions.
• Pregnant women.
• Health care and emergency personnel.
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