My kids are having a hell of a time getting a seasonal flu shot.

[hedgehog]

They're away at college, so they can't get it from our family doctor. Student health doesn't have them yet, and it's a scavenger hunt finding the clinics. They can't afford time off from class to be sick and they both have asthma.

Meanwhile, my sister in another state is a health department nurse assigned to a public clinic yesterday. The clinic started several hours late, and was shorted on the amount of vaccine it received to distribute. She wasn't sure why there were so few doses.

This is for the seasonal flu, not the H1N1.

Off-hand, I'd say no one has to worry about mandatory mass vaccination!

[SheilaT]

1. Depending on where they are, it's possible

that seasonal flu vaccine is being pushed out by the H1N1 version.

Tell them to call around to pharmacies and grocery stores in their area, as many of hem hold flu clinics. Or possibly the county health department will know who is having flu clinics.

[Ian David]

2. Start posting anti-vaccination hysteria on your local right-wing blogs.

Do what you can to make the lines shorter, and to help Natural Selection along.

[HuckleB]

3. This might be part of the shortage.

http://www.nbc12.com/Global/story.asp?S=11194125

There was a problem with some doses, and the FDA wouldn't release them, which is likely wise.

[emilyg]

4. Have them try Walgreens and certain grocery stores.

[bbinacan]

5. I got my seasonal flu shot

the first of September. Plan ahead.

edit to add: I'm so fucking tired of the victim mentality on DU. "It's not my fault. The MAN keeps me down." How about not waiting til the last minute. JHC, it's like those that leave a hurricane area too late and want to bitch about. Arghhh!

[hedgehog]

13. Our family doctor orders early, but didn't receive his vaccine until after the kid were at school.

The campus health clinic keeps promising to have the vaccine "in a couple of weeks". Neither of these kids has a car, so access to off-campus clinics is limited. Finding a clinic means going to a web site that gives a day by day listing of public clinics throughout the county and checking with each individual drug store and grocery store since the clinics in their area are one day affairs lasting 4 to 8 hours.


Given that the various public health agencies have identified influenza vaccinations as a major step in preventing morbidity and mortality, wouldn't it make sense to see a single site listing every place you could get vaccinated? Since young people are a major vector in spreading influenza and since college students can't afford to be sick for even one or two weeks in a 15 week semester, wouldn't it make sense for college health services to provide early, ready access to influenza vaccines? This isn't victim mentality, it's pointing out yet another gap in our fractured health care system. If enough people notice the same gap, maybe we'll see to it that it gets fixed.

[bbinacan]

15. I stand corrected. n/t

[hedgehog]

16. I've noticed over the years that my doctor is getting more and more frustrated trying to

get his vaccines delivered promptly. I think he was really upset one year when his batch came in after Walmart had made a big deal advertising flu shots.

[mzmolly]

6. I've heard of shortages on H1N1 this year, but I didn't know that the seasonal

jab was an issue. Perhaps it'd due to increased awareness?

[Pirate Smile]

7. It is gone in our area. I got my kids the mist in mid-September and a flu shot at Walgreens

where they were administering it from 8-4 every day for $25.

Now, it is all gone. I was at the Pediatric Dentist last week and the dental assistants were talking about how the vaccine is all gone - this is the normal vaccine, not H1N1. They said that normally someone from a local hospital comes out and gives it to everyone but this year they are already out - every where is out and they can't find it.

At the grocery store today I noticed that the pharmacy had up a sign - "Out of flu vaccine". They also had cancelled a clinic when they were going to be administering it to the public this week.

I saw a Walgreens ad in early September and called my husband & told him to get it. He told everyone in his office and a lot of them went and got it.

I called the pediatricians office about the flu mist - they were out but said to call the next Monday around 11:00 when they would get their next shipment in. I called, they had some, I got the kids out of school and took them over to get it. I had heard that you were supposed to wait 4 weeks between the vaccinations and since I wanted to get the kids the H1N1 vaccine, I thought I'd get the other one early.

I think my 8 year old has H1N1 right now. She's OK. Fever and cough. The Dr said we have only the H1N1 flu around here now. There is no seasonal flu in the area.

[Mind_your_head]

8. Who knows? Maybe that will be best for them NOT to get the shot. n/t

[uppityperson]

12. Why? nt

[woodsprite]

9. They sent home a permission slip from my son's school, but not my daughter's

This is for the H1N1 vaccine. Same school district, one is elementary and one is high school. I'd really rather them not receive them at school and I haven't made up my mind if I want them to have it or not. If they do, I'd rather them receive it from our regular doc, where I can ask questions. It's a catch 22 - if you have it done and something happens, then you'll kick yourself thinking you shouldn't have had them vaccinated. If you don't have them vaccinated and something happens, you'll kick yourself thinking you should have had it done.

[Fridays Child]

10. Around here, they're available at every Walgreen's and CVS that have on-site clinics.

And H1N1 vaccination clinics are being held by the health department at least a couple of times a week, at various locations around the city.

[Warpy]

11. If there's a Walgreen's in town

they can get it from the pharmacist. It's $24, but it's a hell of a lot better than getting the flu, especially with asthma.

[Dappleganger]

14. If they have asthma, make sure they have ALL their meds

well-stocked. Inhalers aren't enough from our experience, they need their nebulizers. Swine flu is going through our house right now (6 of us, 5 of us have asthma in varying degrees). At the first sign of a cough they are being put on Xoponex or Albuterol along with daily control meds (nebulizers, not inhalers) and that seems to help us stay on top of things. Make sure they are taking vitamins and getting enough rest, too.

Also, the vaccines are not fully effective for at least two months after being administered from what our physicians and nurses have told us.

[hedgehog]

17. Update - so one kid is down today with a bad sore throat.