40 Replies to "H1N1 flu: County opening 4 clinics for those who most need shots"

• Ken October 20, 2009 (11:28 am)

  So what’s it cost? The local sliding scale clinics tell me it could be 2 or 3 weeks before they have any.

  Clickable link:
  http://www.kingcounty.gov/healthservices/health/preparedness/pandemicflu/swineflu.aspx

• WSB October 20, 2009 (11:38 am)

  I called Matias Valenzuela in KCPH communications to be sure I was correct in assuming that the answer to your question is “free.” He confirmed, yes, they are free, but again, to those with “significant” health problems, and no insurance – TR

• k2 October 20, 2009 (11:42 am)

  well, before you make that decision, get some information, especially for children:

  http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/10/06/Why-You-Should-NOT-Vaccinate-Your-Children-Against-the-Flu-This-Season.aspx

• Kayleigh October 20, 2009 (12:05 pm)

  Please use legitimate medical science to make your decisions on the H1N1 vaccine.
  .
  http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/?p=2116

• Ken October 20, 2009 (12:22 pm)

  K2
  I counted 9 absolute lies in that article, which is on a pay site and comes from the lew rockwell conspiracy theory site. (use google cache and click the text only link on the right if you want to see this drivel.)

  I apologize if you suffer from brain damage since that means you cannot help it.

  The real info for non reality challenged people.

  http://www.cdc.gov/FLU/protect/keyfacts.htm

• WSB October 20, 2009 (12:26 pm)

  Thank you for the research and link, Ken. I am backed up on writing at the moment and am a little challenged in the comment-truth-squad duties – TR

• owen October 20, 2009 (12:29 pm)

  Thanks Ken. I also found some good links for people who prefer to get their information from sources that don’t prattle on about “brainwashing the public”, “propaganda”, and conspiracy theories about patent dates. Try these:

  WebMD swine flu vaccine FAQ

  Johns Hopkins Institute for Vaccine Safety, specifically the package inserts for the four different vaccines available.
  CDC H1N1 flu vaccine
  Google flu trends

• sam October 20, 2009 (1:01 pm)

  WSB- is there a way for you to edit comments?
  while there may be truth to some of Ken’s comments (I haven’t done the google cache to see what is on that pay site), calling someone names seems to cross the line. can you keep Ken’s useful comments and links and take out the last 2 sentences ? calling people stupid doesn’t do much to make someone sound reasonable.

• Jay October 20, 2009 (1:01 pm)

  Wow, the article that k2 posted contains almost no (if any) accurate information. Information regarding the safety of h1n1 and seasonal flu vaccines is readily available. There is no evidence that either of the vaccines are harmful and no evidence that any vaccine causes autism.

• Ken October 20, 2009 (1:11 pm)

  Another link concerning the link site:

  http://www.quackwatch.org/11Ind/mercola.html

• Hello?? October 20, 2009 (1:14 pm)

  I’m suffering from a case of H1N1 flu right now. Today is day seven of not feeling well.
  Ken was right on in getting the accurate website information posted here for the rest of you without this flu yet.
  K2 should be ashamed in posting that drivel.
  Read the government information from the federal level (CDC) or the County level (Seattle King County Public Health Department) or contact your own doctor. Do not rely on questionable or downright false websites.

• carterbiosea October 20, 2009 (1:20 pm)

  Leaving the safety of the vaccines aside (totally safe, BTW), any info on when the vaccine might reach providers? As of today, Swedish West Seattle still doesn’t have any. Their swine flu info message dates from last week. I have an 18 month old that I want to get vaccinated ASAP, but I also don’t have time to stalk the pediatrician’s office.

• WSB October 20, 2009 (1:42 pm)

  Here’s an AP story on an avail with the state health sec’y yesterday – should be abundant by mid-Nov., she says. However, I would think there’d be a higher priority on risk groups like very young/very old?
  http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010095483_apwaswinefluvaccine3rdldwritethru.html

• bsmomma October 20, 2009 (1:48 pm)

  I was able to put my daughter on a waiting list at Swedish Childrens. They did tell me that if I come across another opportunity to get vaccinated, within the meantime, to take it! That’s sort of scary! I tried to get one at Highline and they said to keep trying back and they did not have a waiting list. Again with the kind of scary factor!

• Diane October 20, 2009 (2:43 pm)

  re “I would think there’d be a higher priority on risk groups like very young/very old?”
  ~
  actually the very old are low priority with the H1N1; my nurse and specialists on news say anyone born prior to 1950 should have good immunity; I am borderline, born 1952, and really want to get the vaccine, but my clinic will not take any names on wait list, and the priority when H1N1 does become available is health care workers, youth and pregnant women
  ~
  and I am not allowed to get first run of H1N1, which is nasal form; they will not give it to anyone over 49
  ~
  thank god I was able to get regular flu shot last week, since I am in 2 risk groups, work with babies and 57 yrs old

• r26 October 20, 2009 (2:49 pm)

  I am stalking the West Seattle offices. I find it CRAZY that it’s taking this long and that no one can get high risk folks in (who do have insurance).

• WSB October 20, 2009 (2:51 pm)

  Thanks, Diane. I’ll look for the official links on that before spouting off again. In chat with friends in the health-care industry a couple nights ago, they mentioned very young/very old … TR

• WSB October 20, 2009 (2:53 pm)

  P.S. It was suggested to me not long ago that there be a breakout spot here for info on flu shots. I wasn’t sure we had the resources at the time but it’s clearly high interest and therefore should be high priority. Will work on a FLU page. Any particular info anyone’s been looking for and can’t find, that I might pursue with health authorities? – TR

• Kayleigh October 20, 2009 (3:27 pm)

  A flu page would be great. Links tracking rates of H1N1 in King County would be helpful. I had a wicked flu that lasted 2 weeks this month and have no idea if it was H1N1 or not.

• r26 October 20, 2009 (3:31 pm)

  When will we be able to get it (those of us with insurance)?
  Will there be enough for everyone who wants one?
  Will there be children’s shots available?

• Diane October 20, 2009 (3:55 pm)

  re “In chat with friends in the health-care industry a couple nights ago, they mentioned very young/very old … TR”
  ~
  yes that is true of regular flu; the H1N1 is very different in many ways
  ~
  what I heard on news is that the H1N1 is similar to a flu strain in early 1900’s so people 60+ yrs old likely to have built-in immunity, or they got shots back then? that’s why they think it’s mostly very young people getting sick/dying from H1N1

• Diane October 20, 2009 (3:59 pm)

  when I got flu shot last week and asked about H1N1, to get on wait list, and thought I was in risk group; my nurse said being almost 60 puts me way down the list for H1N1

• zero-to-life in West Seattle October 20, 2009 (4:51 pm)

  Taken from CDC website:

  CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has recommended that certain groups of the population receive the 2009 H1N1 vaccine when it first becomes available. These target groups include pregnant women, people who live with or care for children younger than 6 months of age, healthcare and emergency medical services personnel, persons between the ages of 6 months and 24 years old, and people ages of 25 through 64 years of age who are at higher risk for 2009 H1N1 because of chronic health disorders or compromised immune systems.

• WSB October 20, 2009 (4:53 pm)

  Thanks! Since it’s government copy we can excerpt at will. Sounds like a good paragraph for close to the top of forthcoming flu page – TR

• Diane October 20, 2009 (8:40 pm)

  thanks for cdc info; so according to that, I’m in the priority group of “people who live with or care for children younger than 6 months of age”; now if I could only get access to the H1N1 shots
  ~
  so looks like folks older than 64 are at least risk of H1N1
  ~
  does it mention anywhere in that cdc advisory that those of us in priority group over age 49 have to wait for shots to come available, since they won’t allow us to use the nasal vaccine

• Ken October 20, 2009 (11:44 pm)

  more info re h1n1

  http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/17/health/17flu.html?_r=1

  Looks like it is really moving faster even than predicted and is more harmful to certain groups.

  I am in one of those groups and I will be lining up at White Center asap.

• sam October 21, 2009 (7:57 am)

  so, we haven’t heard from doctor yet that it is available (one child and one adult in high risk group)- and we have insurance. if these clinics get the shots first, are they requiring you to prove you don’t have health insurance ?

• zero-to-life in West Seattle October 21, 2009 (8:20 am)

  Here is a link from the CDC that goes into detail about who should get the injection and who should get the spray. http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/vaccination/vaccine_keyfacts.htm

• Lorelee October 21, 2009 (1:37 pm)

  Re: sam – “are they requiring you to prove you don’t have insurance?”
  PLEASE don’t use the public health clinics to get a h1n1 shot if you have insurance. They have targeted those most at risk AND without insurance for a good reason… they don’t have insurance to cover the impact of getting the flu! These are scarce resources and we should act as a caring community and take care of those most at risk first. You will get your chance to get your shot.
  PS- Public Health Seattle King County will likely have to close the entire immunization program at the end of this year. Too bad, they are the most efficient at getting this sort of thing organized!

• Penny October 21, 2009 (2:31 pm)

  I want to start by saying I’m very appreciative of KC Public Health providing free H1N1 immunizations… BUT, I feel very discriminated against when my 3 year old daughter, who IS in the high-risk category and who has insurance, can’t get a shot yet because there is no vaccine available at any place I have called. Our pediatrician’s office doesn’t think they’ll have it until mid-November. This is not right! This IS discrimatory folks.

• sam October 22, 2009 (8:38 am)

  Penny- yeah that is what I kinda thought.

  based on my son’s recovery process from colds throughout his entire life (18 mos), (a lingering productive cough for several weeks, long after the other cold symptoms are gone), the doctor thinks maybe he has asthma. but yeah, the doctor doesn’t have any H1N1 flu shot yet.

• datamuse October 22, 2009 (9:27 am)

  Penny: how is it discriminatory? Lorelee explained the rationale behind preferentially providing shots to the uninsured rather well, I think.

  Vaccines can only be manufactured so quickly.

• CC October 22, 2009 (1:11 pm)

  I, too, think that giving priority to those who are “uninsured” and in the high-risk category as opposed to insured children (who are also in the high-risk category) is discriminatory. I heard in Pierce co. that they’re giving the shots to the homeless first. I think that the homeless should get shots before healthy adults, but children should be first in line, no matter what.

• RJD October 22, 2009 (7:22 pm)

  Giving priority to the homeless or the uninsured, over high-risk children is an outrage. This is playing social-policy engineering games with our children’s health. The reality is that there is no H1N1 flu vaccine presently available for high-risk children, unless of course they fit the arbitrary, discriminaty category. What I really want to know is who allowed this rule to be promulgated, and who signed off on this? We the public deserve to know.

• Oliver October 22, 2009 (8:52 pm)

  The vaccine is available in a few north seattle pharmacies and public clinics, yet pediatricians and OB-GYNs don’t have the vaccine for high-risk pregnant women and children. WTF?

• sam October 23, 2009 (8:35 am)

  hospitals treat dying gunshot victims, accident victims, etc, regardless of whether they are insured or not, right?

  from the explanation (of why it is going to uninsured people first), it sounds like a gravely ill person with the swine flu would be turned away at the door, is that true?

  if so, then providing the shot first to uninsured makes a ton of sense.

  it also makes sense seeing as if someone doesn’t have insurance and gets ill, they will likely not stay away from work (if they have a job), or stay home from work to take care of a sick child, instead sending that kids to school or daycare or whatever, spreading it around.

  BUT, the H1N1 virus doesn’t care if you are an “at-risk uninsured” or an “at-risk insured”…….

  seems like they could distribute the limited quantities to the public health dept. AND the doctors offices to make sure it gets to all at-risk people asap. esp. since it takes a couple weeks to be effective.

• sam October 23, 2009 (12:17 pm)

  also, children under 10 need two doses of the swine flu vaccine, spaced ONE MONTH APART, for the medicine to work properly.

  however, King County decides that uninsured adults should get the vaccine first, over insured high risk children……….. ?
  how is that not discriminatory?

• GS November 3, 2009 (12:00 pm)

  If you have the money to pay for health insurance, it is likely that you also have the money to protect your kids in other ways. Low-income individuals are put in a position where we have to take our kids to the community center, etc, because we have no where else for them to play. We are also unable to give our kids the best nutritional foundation to help them avoid getting sick in the first place, and we can’t keep them home if they begin to show symptoms of illness. Not only are we at a greater risk for getting sick, we are the ones who will be exposing your kids to the swine flu. Believe me, you want us vaccinated, ASAP.

• Asthma Parent November 4, 2009 (2:27 pm)

  Oh please. Let me cry a river for the uninsured. The cost of the vaccine is 0 and the cost of getting the vaccine at a hospital anywhere is minimal… if only the uninsured weren’t getting ALL of the available vaccine. NO. There should be absolutely NO priority given to “uninsured” and King County Health should either do all the deliveries or require no special status. Read my lips… the vaccine is free. Going down to the incompetent Health Dept… where they take all day to give vaccines (rate of 10/hour) and make you stay with lots of sick people… is the height of stupidity.

  King County Health needs to absolutely have a much better triage set up. FIRST… pregnant women, children with asthma and other chronic considtions….. NEXT other children, and adults with chronic conditions. Duh!

  No, GS, I do no believe you… I’ll gladly take your vaccine… and have already done so.

• sam November 5, 2009 (4:20 pm)

  since when does having health insurance mean that you have a lot of money ? (current health care debate aside).
  there are plenty of places that offer health insurance to part time employees. ever heard of Ikea, Costco ?
  correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t think you get rich working there.

  the vaccine distribution should be about health care conditions, pregnancy, risk, etc.

  period.

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