County's supply of flu shots OK for now

Winnebago County has already received more than 51 percent of its total order of seasonal flu vaccines and may not be threatened by this week’s announcement of delivery delays.

Sue Fuller, Winnebago County Health Department community relations manager, said Friday that the department has administered about 3,000 seasonal flu shots through the first seven of 71 flu and pneumonia clinics it will hold. She said the department received 8,000 vaccine doses in its initial order and expects shipments in each of the next two weeks.

“We order from four different distributors as a way to protect ourselves from the possibility that one supplier could run short,” Fuller said.

The biggest makers of seasonal flu vaccines for the U.S. said this week they are running into delays or cutting back shipments, partly because of a crunch to produce millions of doses of the new swine flu vaccine.

Drugmaker Sanofi Pasteur said it had shipped more than half of the 50.5 million doses of seasonal flu vaccine ordered, and it could be November before some U.S. customers get the rest of their shipments. Novartis AG and GlaxoSmithKline PLC said their shipments were on schedule, but told customers they may get about 10 percent less than ordered.

The three companies account for about 100 million of the nation’s expected 114 million doses.
Fuller said private providers are not required to report to the department about their supplies. She said she has heard that some area providers are running low but not running out.

She said the department is part of an influenza vaccine consortium that also includes SwedishAmerican Health System, OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center, Rockford Health System, Crusader Community Health and the Visiting Nurses Association. The consortium ordered 66,990 seasonal vaccine doses and has received 34,280.

She said the number of doses still on hand Friday was about 16,000.

“My notes from the (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) show that the vast majority of vaccine is expected to be delivered by the end of October and some into November,” Fuller said. “About 70 million doses have been delivered, which is about 61 percent, so we feel our totals are right there with the national numbers.”

Staff writer Mike DeDoncker can be reached at 815-987-1382 or mdedoncker@rrstar.com.

UPCOMING FLU SHOT CLINICS
The Winnebago County Health Department will be holding seasonal-flu vaccine and pneumonia shot clinics in the following locations in the coming week:

Today: 9 a.m. to noon, St. Bridget Catholic Church parish hall, 604 Clifford Ave., Loves Park.

Sunday: 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., St. Edward Catholic Church, 3004 11th St.

Monday: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Heartland Community Church at Colonial Village, South Alpine and Newburg roads.

Tuesday: 9 a.m. to noon, Pecatonica United Methodist Church, 420½ Washington St., Pecatonica.

Wednesday: 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., YMCA Northeast Branch, 8451 Orth Road, Loves Park.

Thursday: 9 a.m. to noon, Northeast Christian Church, 5651 E. Riverside Blvd., and 3 to 6 p.m. Dolphin Swim Club, 6501 Rock Valley Parkway, Loves Park.

Friday: 9 a.m. to noon, Bob’s Hardware, 2710 20th St.

Saturday, Oct. 10: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., LaVoz Latina, 412 Market St.

Cost: $30 for the flu shot, which may be covered by Medicare Part B; supplementary insurances provided by Humana Benefit Plan of Illinois, Unicare Security Choice, Secure Horizon Direct or Humana Gold Choice, or by an Illinois Public Aid medical card; $45 for the pneumonia shot, which also may be covered by Medicare Part B or supplementary insurances.

In all cases, for Medicare, supplementary insurances or public aid, the recipient must present the appropriate card and a photo ID.