Local health services

will narrow focus on

flu shot recipients

By KEVIN SWEENEY

Journal Editor

NEW ULM -- Tuesday's sudden announcement that the nation will be short of flu vaccine this year had health officials in Brown County jumping to count local inventories of the vaccine and to figure out who should get it.

Anita Hoffmann, director of Brown County Public Health, was on the phone most of the day checking with county health services to see who had how much vaccine.

On Tuesday, British health officials announced it was pulling the license of Chiron Corp., the company that makes half of the vaccine used in the U.S. Before that, local health officials thought there would be a plentiful supply of flu vaccine on hand, and they were encouraging many people, including otherwise healthy adults over 50, to get the vaccine.

Now, said Hoffmann, health services will be narrowing their focus to those who have the greatest risk of suffering serious health problems if they catch the flu.

Hoffmann said her inventory of the county showed the New Ulm Medical Center had vaccine, but Sleepy Eye Municipal Hospital and the Sleepy Eye nursing homes were without it, since they order from Chiron.

Brown County Public Health will be coordinating supplies to see that each community gets some vaccine. The best way to find whether you need a flu shot and where to get one is to call your doctor, she said.

Public Health will use some of its supplies to immunize nursing home and in-home care recipients, and will spread the rest to medical centers that need it. Hoffmann said Public Health will not be conducting public immunization clinics.

New Ulm Medical Clinic will continue to offer immunization clinics for high-risk individuals, according to a release from Dr. Joan Krikava, Director of Medical Affairs at NUMC. NUMC has a sufficient supply for high risk individuals, but will not be offering immunizations to healthy people at this time, said Krikava.

High risk individuals who should be immunized include:

* All infants age six months to 23 months.

* All adults above the age of 64

* All adults and children with chronic medical conditions, such as diabetes, asthma, heart disease, immuno-suppressive conditions, and so on.

* Pregnant women in the second and third trimester during flu season.

* Health care workers who deal directly with patients.

* Children on aspirin therapy

* Residents of nursing homes or other long-term care facilities

* All families and caregivers of infants, especially those younger than six months who are too young to be immunized, the elderly and the chronically ill.

Hoffmann said it will be essential for people to practice other flu prevention techniques this season -- wash hands frequently, covering your mouth when you cough or sneeze, and especially, stay home if you are sick. People who feel they have to tough it out and got to work or school when they are ill could be exposing others unnecessarily.