Long Islanders preparing to receive the H1N1 flu vaccination might have to wait in line a little while longer as both county and state officials urge federal health officials to increase the level of communication regarding the appropriate distribution of the vaccine.
According to a letter written by Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the County Department of Health has already received multiple complaints from physicians and the general public regarding the availability and process for delivery of the vaccination.
Suozzi said that while the CDC may in fact have a well thought out plan concerning the distribution of the H1N1 flu vaccination, it has not been shared with the public or with local health departments.
“The CDC is not utilizing the existing infrastructure for sending out this valuable information,” Suozzi said in the letter. “As a result our residents are confused, our public health officials do not have accurate information to provide the public, and the county is not informed about when and where the vaccine has already been distributed and where it will be received next.”
“Our officials have been finding out random information or through different media accounts about various providers that have received the vaccine and are conducting vaccination clinics,” he said.
And Suozzi wasn’t the only one to express concern over the confusion stemming from the lack of communication.
“While I applaud the Department of Health and Human Services, including the CDC, in their increased efforts to address concerns over the H1N1 flu, simply not enough is being done to inform local governments and health departments about the vaccine,” Schumer said in a statement.
Schumer pointed out that only a fraction of New York City residents have had access to the vaccine.
Sen. Gillibrand is urging the CDC to immediately increase their communication with local governments and public health departments.
“Concern about H1N1 is very high, and as a mother and a lawmaker, I feel it’s the federal government’s responsibility to provide every local community with the vaccines they need to protect the public from H1N1,” Gillibrand said. “While public health departments and federal agencies have been working hard to respond effectively, many communities in New York have yet to receive adequate information about these vaccines.”
Llelwyn Grant, a spokesman for the CDC, said the agency is responsible for tracking all vaccines being shipped throughout the country and that states are responsible for the ordering and distribution within the state.
“Although states have individual distribution plans, the CDC is confronted with questions asking, ‘Why is a large state, like New York, receiving such a small amount of doses compared to a much smaller state receiving a larger amount of doses?’ and we tell them that a smaller state might only need 150,000 doses of the vaccine to cover all of its clinics and will order it all at once, whereas a larger state might not have all of its clinics running and will only order a small percentage at a time,” Grant said.
According to the CDC website, which is updated with new information on shipments of the vaccine every Friday, there were a total of 23.1 million doses of the vaccine available as of October 28th. Of that number, 19.4 million doses have been ordered, and 16.8 million have already been shipped nationwide. The website also provides information on the seasonal influenza and shows that there are a total of 114 million doses with 85 million readily available, and 60 million people have already received the vaccination. Grant said that these numbers would be used up by mid-November.
“It’s all about supply and demand as we go into this flu season, and with the H1N1 vaccine, the demand is simply outweighing the supply at this time,” he said.
“New York, along with other states, is receiving less vaccine than originally anticipated,” said Thomas Allocco, a spokesman for the New State Department of Health.
Allocco said that as of October 22nd, 417,000 doses of H1N1 vaccines have been shipped to 900 health facilities across the state, representing nearly 6% of the national production of the vaccine. He said that the state has ordered an additional 146,300 doses that should be arriving within the next week, if they haven’t already.
Grace-Kelly McGovern, a spokesperson for the Suffolk County Department of Health said the county department receives directions on the distribution directly from state officials, and follows a predetermined distribution schedule.
According to McGovern, county health departments receive the doses of the vaccine on Mondays, private health facilities in Nassau receive the doses on Tuesdays, and those in Suffolk receive their shipment on Wednesdays.
“We understand there is such a high demand for the vaccine, and we are trying to do the best we can in assisting the public with any questions they might have about the H1N1 virus as we wait for the supply to come in,” McGovern said.
Last week, President Barack Obama had declared a National Emergency relating to the H1N1 flu, which had served as motivation for many government officials to become more proactive in their preventative measures against the flu.
Under existing law, physicians, certified nurse practitioners and nurses may administer vaccinations. The Executive Order will allow other health care workers—including physician and specialist assistants, pharmacists, dentists, certain dental hygienists, midwives, and emergency medical personnel—to administer vaccinations after they receive training.
With this declaration of a State Disaster Emergency, New York joins nine other states that have already taken emergency action or are in the process of declaring a public health emergency related to the H1N1 outbreak during this influenza season. The governor of a state has the power to declare an emergency by an Executive Order when a current or imminent threat to public safety hinders local governments’ ability to respond adequately.
Allocco said he sees the amount of vaccinations dropping even further over the next month based upon CDC estimates. He said that by October 30th, the CDC projects 27.7 million doses to be distributed nationwide that would result in a 47% decrease in what was originally anticipated, and 65.9 million doses by November 27th, resulting in a 22% decrease.
Grant disagrees. “We have an ample reserve of antigens, or raw materials that we use in the make-up of the vaccine that could ultimately provide us with the opportunity to produce up to 251 million doses if need be, but we may not see this number and keep it in reserve for next season,” he said.
“I am very cognizant of the fact that this is a new disease, with a new vaccine, and it takes time to manufacture and deliver to the public. I am simply requesting that the County be better informed as to the plan and a timeframe for distribution,” Suozzi said.
For more information about the H1N1 flu vaccine, or to find out about clinics offering the vaccination near you, please call either the Nassau or Suffolk County Department of Health at (516) 227-9697 or (631) 853-3000.
By Joe O’Halloran