PORT ANGELES — Clallam County’s first 700 doses of the H1N1 swine flu vaccine has arrived, Dr. Tom Locke, public heath officer for both Clallam and Jefferson counties, said Tuesday.
“We got our very first shipment just an hour or two ago,” Locke said.
Jefferson County is expected to receive 300 doses of the live virus nasal mist by today.
For the first few weeks, the vaccine will be available only to those who meet certain criteria.
Pregnant women, health care workers and parents or caretakers of infants six months or younger are eligible for the initial doses.
The idea is to protect infants, who cannot use the virus themselves, by inoculating those who will be in contact with them.
Kids and young adults from six months to 24 are the next in line, followed by adults 25 to 64 who have a chronic medical condition.
“We would like to open it up to these groups as soon as possible,” Locke said.
By November, everyone who wants the vaccine will have access to it, Locke said.
“As soon as we know supplies are no longer limited, it will essentially go to anyone else,” he said.
700 doses
A national distributor shipped the first 700 doses to Olympic Medical Center, Forks Community Hospital and Clallam County Health officials on Tuesday.
Jefferson Healthcare hospital and Jefferson County health officials were expected to receive their doses either late Tuesday or today.
The number a county receives is based on population. Clallam County outnumbers Jefferson County 71,021 to 29,542, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Both counties will get the same number of doses they received this week sometime next week.
The mist is restricted for those between 2 and 49 years with no medical conditions that preclude its use, Locke said.
“Our goal is to use this as quickly as possible, and use the same amount next week,” Locke said.
By the third week of October, health officials will roll out thousands of doses of H1N1 shots to anyone on the priority list.
Prevention
Meanwhile, Locke said it is important to practice preventative measures like covering coughs, washing hands frequently and staying home when sick.
“The take-home message is now is the time to be really vigilant,” Locke said. “We’re in a race right now between the H1N1 flu season and the availability of the vaccine.”
Swine flu is spreading quickly across the state, especially in Eastern Washington, where two-thirds of the cases have been reported.
“In terms of H1N1, it looks like we’re seeing an early flu season,” Locke said.
However, there have been no reported cases on the North Olympic Peninsula so far this season.
The symptoms of H1N1 are similar to seasonal flu. It’s considered a category 1 pandemic, or the least severe on a scale to 5.
The H1N1 vaccine does not protect against seasonal flu.
One of the unique characteristics of swine flu is that most people older than 60 are immune to it. Experts believe that seniors developed immunity to the strain from a similar flu that circulated the globe until the late 1950s.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-417-3537 or at rob.ollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
