KOLD News 13 live, local and late breaking-H1N1 vaccine arrives in Pima County

H1N1 vaccine arrives in Pima County

By Barbara Grijalva - email

TUCSON, AZ (KOLD) -  They started lining up about 45 minutes before the Pima County Health Department immunization clinic opened at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday.

County health care workers began giving out the initial 9,000 doses of FluMist, the nasal form of the vaccine, on a first-come, first-served basis. 

Because the vaccine is made from a live, though weakened virus, there are many people who should not get it, such as people with chronic diseases and pregnant women.

"We're not sure how it'll react with the fetus and with the mom. So we would just as soon be safe all the way around and wait until the injectable vaccine is available," says Patti Woodcock of the Pima County Health Department.

The H1N1 vaccine in any form is not recommended for people 50 years old and up because they might not need it.

Woodcock says they might already have developed an immunity to H1N1 because they probably have had the flu and have been getting the seasonal flu shots over the years.

"And that's what we're thinking is the reason why they're not coming down with the H1N1 virus as severely as those who are younger who have not had the flu and had no seasonal flu vaccine at all," Woodcock says.

She says health care workers are finding that people who are five years old and younger, and 19-to-24-year-olds have the most complications from the H1N1 virus.   

Because of federal rules, Pima County cannot give the vaccine to those who are 50 or older, but Woodcock says those people can get it from other sources in the community, such as drug stores or their own doctors, when the vaccine becomes available there.

The county health department expects to get the H1N1 injectable vaccine by the end of the month.

Woodcock says, at first, it will be limited to the usual high-risk groups who are urged to get the seasonal flu.

That includes pregnant women and those with chronic conditions.

But the county expects that in November, it will have plenty for everyone.

"Yes. Ultimately, there will be enough for everybody who wants to receive the vaccine to receive it," Woodcock says.

She says the county has ordered slightly less than 550,000 doses of H1N1 vaccine.

The federal government has provided the H1N1 vaccine, so Pima County must provide it free to the public, whether you have insurance or not.

However, there are age and other restrictions on who may receive the free vaccine. 

People who may get the free vaccine are age 2 to 24, health care workers under the age of 50, and people under 50 who care for infants, under 6 months old.  All of them must be healthy.

The Pima County Health Department is distributing the FluMist form of the flu vaccine during its regular immunization clinics.

©2009 KOLD. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.