Sunday, November 8, 2009

H1N1 Pandemic Vaccinations Circa the 21st Century

The following is a recap of the County Health Department H1N1 Flu shot giveaway, November 7, 2009. Please note, not once in the three and 1/2 hour wait in line did I hear anyone complain about "socialized medicine". Even though the process clearly needs to be refined, people were glad to get a potentially life saving vaccine.


PHOTO: 5:30 AM THE OUTDOOR TENT WAITING AREA FOR THE FREE H1N1 FLU SHOT, COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT, HELD AT THE LANE COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS.

It was a dark and stormy night. The heavy rains pounded the roof so hard, it woke me up at 2:30 am. If it's going to rain like this, I hope it does so now, and not when people are waiting in line for hours to get the flu shots. Much to my delight, the county had put up a large tent for people to gather under.
PHOTO: ABOUT 30 PEOPLE HAD ALREADY TAKEN THEIR PLACE IN LINE AT 5:30 AM.
There were two Sheriff's Police officers there. I asked one officer if he had ever had done "vaccination patrol" before. The answer was no.

A glimpse into the background of this story-- the County and all the Doctor's offices had run dry of all vaccinations. The regular seasonal flu shot was in high demand, so much so, that the County Health Department page was looking like this:

LANECOUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH

2009 SEASONAL FLU CLINICS

2009 LCPH Seasonal Flu Clinic Schedule -

October 5th Lane County Fairgrounds-Wheeler Pavilion
8-4 p.m. 796 West 13th
Eugene OR

October 14th Lane County Public Health
1-4 p.m. 135 E 6th Ave
Eugene OR

October 16th Scandinavian Festival Hall--Postponed
9-11 a.m. 195 5th Avenue
Junction City OR

October 16th Veneta Community Center--Postponed
1:30-3:30 p.m. 25192 E. Broadway Ave
Veneta OR

October 21st Lane County Public Health--Postponed
1-4 p.m. 135 E 6th Ave
Eugene OR

October 23rd Cottage Grove Community Center--Postponed
9:30-11 a.m. Shepherd Room
700 Gibbs Avenue
Cottage Grove OR

October 28th Lane County Public Health--Postponed
1-4 p.m. 135 E 6th Ave
Eugene OR

November 4th Lane County Public Health--Postponed
1-4 p.m. 135 E 6th Ave
Eugene OR

November 11th Lane County Public Health--Postponed
1-4 p.m. 135 E 6th Ave
Eugene OR

November 18th Lane County Public Health--Postponed
1-4 p.m. 135 E 6th Ave
Eugene OR

November 25th Lane County Public Health--Postponed
1-4 p.m. 135 E 6th Ave
Eugene OR


Note this was just for the regular flu shot, not the H1N1 shot.

My workplace does have regular flu shot clinics, where our insurance provider has a nurse come & give shots. This year, they had 2 days scheduled, a Monday & Wednesday option. I had signed up for the Monday slot, and on Tuesday, they sent out an e mail saying they had run out of shots & the 2nd session had been canceled.

My Doctor's office indicated they were given nine H1N1 shots to distribute... and he has thousands of patients! They had no idea if or when they might get more H1N1 immunizations, and did not have a waitlist. Their best advice was to keep calling every two weeks to see if something might be available.

So I do understand the severity of the shortage. At the same time, it was announced that their ability to produce H1n1 shots is a time consuming process, and those shots would be in great shortage. As a result, they would first distribute the vaccinations ONLY to high risk groups.

Priority groups who will receive the vaccine as soon as it becomes available:

  • All those aged 6 months to 24 years
  • Pregnant women
  • People caring for or living with infants under 6 months of age
  • People aged 25-64 with underlying medical conditions (such as asthma, immune deficiencies,cancer, diabetes, etc.)
  • Health care workers and emergency medical responders.

I will also say the screening process was marginal and in violation of the HIPPA privacy act.

Kind of lined up like cattle, as the line streamed into the entranceway, a County official asked "Your reason for being here?" (i.e. what is your qualifier for being at risk?)

One guy said he is a caretaker, the bouncer said that is not qualifying, he said I care for my grandkids too, so they let him in. (technically, he did not qualify)

The next woman said she has a suppressed immune system.

One guy said no, another guy said yes & let her in. These were the people who had been there since 5 am, waiting in line for 4 hours.

That process was sketchy at best & no proof was required.
But I felt like having to answer the private medical qualifier question in front of the line of people was in violation of the HIPPA medical privacy & confidentiality laws.
Imagine your reason being AIDS/HIV & having to announce that in a crowded line.

My answer was "So much for the HIPPA privacy laws, Eh?"

Once in, you filled out a paper which once again had the priority checklist of questions. You had to have one YES item checked off to proceed.

The form also asked if you had any shot in the last month & if you have a cold now or feel sick.

Theoretically, if you answered yes to any of those priority qualifying items, you were approved. If you answered yes to any disqualifying items, you would be rejected- even if you just spent 4 hours out in the cold, waiting in line.

But it was not until you went through the whole process, and were sitting at a Nurse's station & they reviewed the form one more time, and made the final approval, that the shot or nasal spray was given.

My best advice~ Keep a close watch on your County Health department's updates. Even if flu shot availability of any kind has been bone dry, some fine day, a shipment will arrive & you too can enjoy a similar experience. If they have multiple dates available, go for the earliest date.

Flying above all this, at the Fairgrounds, was a tattered American Flag, in all, this situation was surreal.




LOTS OF BABIES BUNDLED UP IN STROLLERS. THIS ONE BROKE LOOSE FROM HER MOM & FELL IN A LARGE PUDDLE OF WATER. LUCKILY HER MOM HAD A CHANGE OF PANTS FOR HER THREE HOUR WAIT IN THE COLD.
SOME PARENTS DID THE RELAY METHOD- HAD AN ADULT HOLD A PLACE IN LINE UNTIL THE LINE BEGAN TO MOVE & HAD ANOTHER ADULT BRING THE CHILD TO THE LINE.
WINTER CLINICS SHOULD HAVE INDOOR WAITING SPACE.












My view from either direction.
In the end about 400 people filled this tent before 9 am.





OMINOUS RAIN CLOUDS HANG IN THE SKY AGAINST BRIGHT FALL COLORED LEAVES



LOTS OF PARENTS WITH YOUNG CHILDREN IN TOW

ANOTHER VIEW, NOTICE THE LARGE RAIN PUDDLE!

11 comments:

Fran said...

OK ~ LOTS OF FOLKS WERE SAYING THERE'S GOT TO BE A BETTER WAY.... IT SURE DID SEEM WRONG TO HAVE BABIES & TODDLERS OUT IN THE COLD WAITING IN LINE. THEY REALLY SHOULD HAVE FOUND A WAY TO HAVE A WAITING LINE INDOORS.
BUT PEOPLE SEEMED TO NOT WANT TO BE IN A FUNK FOR THE LONG WAIT, SO THERE WERE LIVELY DISCUSSIONS, AND BASIC COURTESY FOR PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO STEP AWAY FROM THE LINE TO GO TO THE BATHROOM OR WHATEVER. THEY CERTAINLY DO NEED TO FIGURE OUT A BETTER WAY, BUT EVEN UNDER THESE WESTERN OREGON WINTERY CONDITIONS, THE GIANT TENT, AND THE OPENING OF THE CONFERENCE CENTER RESTROOMS JUST THE NEXT BUILDING OVER WERE BOTH GREATLY APPRECIATED.
I'VE NEVER DONE A FLU SHOT IN THIS MASS PUBLIC SETTING STYLE BEFORE. IT'S NOT OPTIMAL, THAT'S FOR SURE, BUT AT LEAST IT WAS FREE AND AVAILABLE TO ANYONE WHO QUALIFIED FOR THE HIGH RISK CATEGORIES.

MY SON (THE AVID BICYCLIST) ARGUED THAT MORE PEOPLE DIED IN CAR ACCIDENTS THAN FROM THE FLU, THE HUSBAND RESPONDED, THEY DON'T HAVE A VACCINE FOR CAR ACCIDENTS.

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE
JUST THUGHT I WOULD DOCUMENT THIS HISTORIC MOMENT.

Distributorcap said...

there is a better way
work for Goldman Sachs

a mess... a major mess

Fran said...

Doh!

enigma4ever said...

yeah I was thinking the same thing-
WHY no indoor space could have been used ?
a gym ?
or auditoreum..
or do they think this decreases spread of germs to hold in "fresh air " ?
terrible for immue suppressed of young..
pneumonia risks are real this time of year...

our healthcare system is broken...at all levels.period.

thanks for the great report-wonderful job...
glad you got the vaccine..really glad..

I went and bough masks..
and I have tons of hand sanitizer..
and that is all I can do at this point..
it will have to do.

Fran said...

The bigger convention hall was already booked for a Gem show,
You are right, the college gym or even the city owned performing arts center.... everyone could have a seat while they are waiting!

Glad you have the basics together.
Other friends said they had flu like symptoms & the doctors said the flu lab test to confirm H1N1 is only being used for those hospitalized, but all flu happening now is considered to be H1N1- because it costs about $300.

D.K. Raed said...

I have a feeling the general public will be waiting quite a while for that "one fine day" when we can all get H1N1 flu shots ... there will probably be a glut when the flu season is just about over ... feast or famine!

Sure looked like a cold wet day for everyone to be waiting outside for hours. Glad you got the shot. Wonder if they ran out before everyone who waited was taken care of?

Fran said...

DK~ The news never reported on it. I'm surprised. I do wonder if the bulk of it will arrive AFTER the peak???

Christopher said...

Indoor, outdoor, whatever. You guys GOT the H1N1 swine flu vaccine.

Again, you are lucky. In New York state, unless you're a pregnant woman or an EMT, good luck.

Jim works with very, very sick patients in a large, acute bed hospital and guess what? They aren't offering the vaccine to healthcare workers because they say they don't have any.

Imagine how easy it would be to spread it in a hospital setting? Or, as Jim says, he gets it and brings it home to me? I have asthma -- not exactly a good base to start from.

It's really a shame that the Obama administration isn't interested in cell-based vaccine development. We are still making vaccines the way we did 50 years ago. Meanwhile, Japan, Germany and even China are moving to the cell-based model.

Imagine a bio-terrorism situation where we need to make vast amounts of vaccine in a week? It ain't going to happen and millions will die.

enigma4ever said...

btw I am writing to demand Sebelius be fired- I don't care if she is battling cancer- this is her Brownie moment.

Fran said...

Christopher-- I agree- medical personnel should be at the front of the line for vaccinations... that is basic common sense-- prevent those exposed & potentially exposing others in a hospital setting FIRST.
Instead, Goldman Sachs & Citi bank get first dibs???

Bullshit.

It is as if they have no protocol for distribution... and in fact, they have Doctors & hospitals who have not yet received the vaccine in NY State where the Wall Street distribution happened.

The Health Department did nothing about this situation? The official WH comment was - if they did get H1N1 vaccinations inappropriately, "that would be bad".....
Action needs to be taken.
Whomever made that decision should no longer be in charge, if they did not have the sense to give the vaccinations to front line medical people & high risk groups first.

Enigma~ You are right. I did not understand why a person w no medical background was appointed to the position.
You coined the phrase! A Brownie moment indeed.

I am grateful to have access to the vaccine, because swine flu is just starting to circulate in my area-- lots of people out all last week w the flu. The whole process is vastly messed up
and not being handled professionally,

Hell even the CDC weekly update web page reporting is all effed up, either that or
there are now 2244 less deaths being reported in the cumulative data from one week to the next. Cumulative data should either stay the same or increase.
Is the CDC engaging in manipulating the data to quell widespread fear & panic?
Their numbers don't jive.
That will be Thursday' blog post.

Fran said...

Christopher, as my post indicates-- the county I live in was in dire straits for any flu vaccination- swine or regular.
I kept checking the Public Health Dept updates (they have a phone hotline w a recorded message, and suddenly a shipment arrived & it was available. They are still out of regular flu vaccines.

So just stay on top of Health Department updates. Shipments are starting to arrive.