RN Leann Gilchrist of the Jackson County Health Department is shown giving Gilbert Dixon, a student at Altus Intermediate School, a flu mist H1N1 vaccine this morning. Because the school has seen a high number of flu cases already this season, they felt it would do the most good to give the first doses to the students that had parental permission.
Altus Times photo by Michael Bush
Although the Jackson County Health Department only received a limited number of vaccine doses, the Oklahoma Department of Health said today that more H1N1 vaccine is expected soon.
Pregnant women and children with certain chronic diseases will benefit from new shipments of the novel H1N1 influenza vaccine expected to arrive in the state early next week. State health officials expect an additional 44,100 doses of vaccine including both nasal spray and the initial shipment of injectable vaccine to reach the state.
“As vaccine arrives in Oklahoma, we continue to target the highest priority groups,” said State Epidemiologist Dr. Kristy Bradley. “This shipment will be the first with the injectable vaccine appropriate for pregnant women and children with chronic disease.”
Bradley said local county health departments will also continue to target healthy school-aged children at school locations that are experiencing elevated absenteeism rates due to children and staff out with influenza.
As with the initial shipment earlier this week, vaccine will be made available only through county health departments and the Indian Health Service. Once larger quantities of vaccine arrive in the state later this month, private providers will begin to receive vaccine and distribute it in the same manner as seasonal influenza vaccine.
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