Home > Salud > Archives > Vaccines category
Vaccines
July 13, 2010
Vaccine clinics offer required meningitis shot for college kids
A state requirement that took effect in January will protect first-time college students living on campus from a potentially deadly disease: bacterial meningitis.
Meningococcal vaccine shots are available for $10 to students who are uninsured or underinsured at clinics that opened this month operated by the Austin/Travis County Health and Human Services Department. Insured students can get shots to protect them from the contagious disease from their doctor.
The Legislature last year required the vaccine for new college kids in Texas who plan to live on campus starting this January, but most kids don’t start until the fall semester.
Meningitis, which is an inflammation of the membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord, can be serious, causing deafness, blindness and brain damage. Symptoms include a high fever, headache and stiff neck.
The Texas Medical Association is mounting a campaign, Be Wise — Immunize, to educate doctors about the shot.
Those who qualify for the health department’s clinics can get the shots at three locations, and on various Saturdays in July and August. The venues are the Far South Health Clinic, 405 W. Stassney Lane; St. John Community Center, 7500 Blessing Ave.; and Rosewood-Zaragosa Neighborhood Center, 2800 Webberville Road.
Appointments for shots, whether they are for students or adults, are required and can be made by calling 972-5520.
For clinic hours, see the health department’s website.
There are no new shot requirements for school children in kindergarten through grade 12, health department spokeswoman Carole Barasch said. A schedule of children’s immunizations is available on the Department of State Health Services’ website.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Vaccines
January 21, 2010
80 percent of kids lack second dose of H1N1 vaccine, state says
Eighty percent of children under 10 who were vaccinated against the H1N1 swine flu virus did not get the required second dose, state health officials said Thursday.
Data provided by the Department of State Health Services show that 311,025 children under age 10 received at least one dose of H1N1 vaccine in Texas, but there was no record of 249,477 kids, or 80.2 percent, getting a second dose within two months of the first vaccine. The data was current as of last week, the department said.
That rate could be the result of reduced spread of swine flu since the fall, a recall of some childhood vaccines because of lost potency and skepticism about the immunizations.
Swine flu is still circulating, and national and state health officials say they are concerned about a new wave of H1N1 illnesses this winter. More children have died from H1N1 than from seasonal flu, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“It is extremely important that children younger than 10 get the second recommended dose. Now is the time to do it,” state health department spokeswoman Carrie Williams said. “We are concerned about what may be around the corner, especially if people are losing interest in getting vaccinated.”
A report last week from the CDC said children are continuing to die from H1N1. Six pediatric deaths that occurred in late 2009 from H1N1 were confirmed last week, the CDC said.
The state this week launched a Flu Fighters Tour of about 30 elementary schools in Texas to teach children how to protect themselves from flu, Williams said.
Since the outbreak began in April, the CDC estimates that about 55 million Americans (using the CDC’s mid-range estimate) have been infected with H1N1 through Dec. 12. Of those, an estimated 246,000 people were hospitalized and 11,160 died, according to the report.
Confirmed H1N1 deaths in Texas were at 206 as of Jan. 9, including six in Travis County, according to state data.
Permalink | Comments (3) | Post your comment Categories: Vaccines
January 7, 2010
Nurse fired after refusing flu shots and saying no to a mask
With the H1N1 swine flu outbreak this year and regular flu now circulating, the Seton Family of Hospitals ordered staff to either get vaccinated against both kinds of flu or wear a mask at all times when in patient areas.
At least one nurse said no. She didn’t want to be vaccinated because of her strong immune system, and “I don’t feel like putting all of that in my body,” she said. And she didn’t want to wear a mask all day. After being suspended and given another chance to comply, she was fired last month for refusing.
I’m wondering: Are there others out there whose workplaces — clinics, urgent care centers or other organizations — required vaccinations against swine flu and/or regular flu this year? Is anyone else out of job for refusing to do so?
You can reach me by e-mail at maroser@statesman.com or by phone at (512) 445-3619. We’re planning an article on this for tomorrow’s paper.
Swine flu is still circulating around the country, but it’s fading, and seasonal flu hasn’t been too awful — at least so far.
Based on the latest flu surveillance report in Texas, flu activity is categorized as “local,” meaning that outbreaks or increases in cases are occurring in a single region of the state.
In a Twitter post Dec. 18, Seton reported: “Virtually zero swine flu in Austin currently.”
That could change, and there’s plenty of swine flu vaccine available. Public health authorities are urging people to get immunized in case the H1N1 virus makes a comeback. Flu season lasts through May, and you may recall that swine flu stuck around all summer.
The Austin/Travis County Health and Human Services Department is offering free H1N1 vaccinations to anyone who wants to be immunized at two clinics this month. Appointments are required. To make one, call 972-5520.
Here are the dates and locations:
Saturday, 1 to 6 p.m., Burger Center, 3200 Jones Road
Jan. 21, 1 to 6 p.m., Delco Center, 4601 Pecan Brook Drive
Permalink | Comments (40) | Post your comment Categories: Vaccines
December 11, 2009
State opens H1N1 swine flu vaccine to all
With H1N1 swine flu vaccine supplies continuing to increase in Texas, the Department of State Health Services announced this afternoon that is opening up the state’s supply to the general public.
State officials said they still want medical providers to ensure that priority groups are getting the vaccine they need, but they believe the supply has finally caught up with demand. Some health departments in Texas, including the Austin/Travis County Health and Human Services Department, opened their allotments to all comers recently.
The Austin/Travis County health department still has free H1N1 vaccine available at clinics scheduled for next Tuesday and Thursday, 1 to 6 p.m. People can call 972-5520 for an appointment.
State health Commissioner Dr. David Lakey said that expanding the vaccine to those who want it is consistent with guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “We have reached a point where supply is catching up with demand. We have been looking forward to reaching this milestone,” Lakey said in a statement. “With the holidays coming and the potential for another wave of illness, we want everyone to be able to protect themselves.”
The state health department advises people who want the vaccine to check with their health care provider or use the flu vaccine locator service available online.
The state is providing vaccine to pharmacies, doctors, hospitals, medical clinics and others. The CDC has allocated 6.7 million doses to Texas as of yesterday, and of those, 6 million has either been shipped or are about to be sent.
Texas expects to receive nearly 13 million doses of the vaccine by January.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Vaccines
December 3, 2009
Swine flu vaccine open to all in Travis County
Anyone wanting a swine flu shot can make an appointment to get one with the Austin/Travis County Health and Human Services Department.
The health department has switched gears from saying the H1N1 swine flu vaccine would only be offered to high-risk people who are uninsured or underinsured to making them available to the general public starting with today’s flu clinic, one of four.
“Health officials determined it was time to expand the vaccination effort beyond the high-risk groups that we had previously targeted per CDC guidance,” health department spokeswoman Carole Barasch said, referring to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In a news release about the clinics, the health department mentioned the looming holiday season, upcoming travel and easy opportunities for germ-sharing.
Today’s clinic runs from 1 to 6 p.m. at the Delco Center, 4601 Pecan Brook Dr. For an appointment at this or any of the clinics, call 972-5520.
More information is available about the clinics on the Web site or by calling 3-1-1 or 2-1-1.
The other three clinics are being held from 1 to 6 p.m. at the following dates and locations:
Dec. 11, Burger Center, 3200 Jones Road.
Dec. 15, Delco Center.
Dec. 17, Burger Center.
The Department of State Health Services said yesterday that health care providers should continue targeting priority groups for the vaccine but could give the vaccine to anyone who wants one. Priority groups — pregnant women, people 6 months through 24 years old; anyone who is age 25 through 64 with a chronic health condition; health care workers; and those who are in close contact with infants six months or younger — are those at highest risk for complications from swine flu.
With vaccine supplies more plentiful in Texas, Tarrant and Harris counties are offering the vaccine to everyone and Dallas County plans to start next week.
Permalink | Comments (8) | Post your comment Categories: Vaccines
November 25, 2009
Health department sets H1N1 vaccine clinics for its clients
The Austin/Travis County Health and Human Services Department now has enough vaccine to set H1N1 swine flu vaccine clinics for its clients — uninsured and underinsured Travis County residents — who make an appointment.
Spokeswoman Carole Barasch said the department has close to 20,000 vaccines. They will be given to people whose health care providers do not have the vaccine and who meet the following criteria:
Are pregnant
Live with or care for a child less than 6 months of age
Are 6 months of age through 24 years of age
Are between the ages 24 years and 64 and have a chronic disorder such as heart or lung disease, diabetes, a blood disorder or weakened immune system.
Call 972-5520 starting Monday to make an appointment.
Here’s the schedule:
Dec. 3 — Delco Center, 4601 Pecan Brook Dr., 1 to 6 p.m.
Dec. 11 — Burger Center, 3200 Jones Road, 1 to 6 p.m.
Dec. 15 — Delco Center, 1 to 6 p.m.
Dec. 17 — Burger Center, 1 to 6 p.m.
For more information, see the health department’s Web site, or call 3-1-1 and 2-1-1.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Vaccines
November 2, 2009
Scarce seasonal flu vaccine free to Round Rock students Tuesday
With seasonal flu vaccine in short supply, here’s a chance for Round Rock school district students to get immunized for free.
The district is offering FluMist to guard against seasonal flu at a clinic at 4 p.m. this Tuesday in the district’s Performing Arts Center, 5800 McNeil Dr., in Austin.
The district said it received about 500 doses of nasal spray and will administer them to healthy students on a first-come, first-served basis.
FluMist can only be administered to children 2 and older provided they do not have asthma or reactive airway disease and are not allergic to eggs, gentamicin or gelatin. People with chronic health conditions also cannot receive FluMist because it contains a weakened form of the virus.
Parents must accompany students who are receiving the vaccine, which will not protect against the H1N1 swine flu. Children are advised to get the H1N1 vaccine, too, although the district is not offering it at this time.
Permalink | Comments (3) | Post your comment Categories: Vaccines
October 30, 2009
Health department gets 3,000 H1N1 doses
The Austin/Travis County Health and Human Services Department, which serves uninsured and underinsured Travis County residents, says it now has 3,000 doses of H1N1 vaccine on hand and is ready to accept appointments to vaccinate people against swine flu.
The vaccine is in shot and mist forms and will be offered in the health department’s Shots for Tots (kids) and Big Shots (adults) programs, spokeswoman Carole Barasch said.
The department is targeting high-risk groups: people age 6 months of age through 24 years old; caregivers and household contacts of children less than 6 months of age; people ages 25 years old to 64 with chronic health conditions; and pregnant women, she said.
For an appointment, call 972-5520.
Vaccine is continuing to trickle into Texas. The state announced this morning that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has allocated 2 million doses to Texas and that as of yesterday, orders had reached 1.5 doses, according to the Department of State Health Services. When an allocation is announced, orders are placed and shipments follow. It was unclear from the release how many of those doses have actually been received in Texas.
The vaccine is being targeted to those in high-risk groups.
About 12,000 Texas providers have registered to receive the vaccine, and Texas eventually expects to receive 15 million doses.
Permalink | Comments (3) | Post your comment Categories: Vaccines
Can kids with egg allergies get swine flu shots?
From what I’ve read and and heard a lot of parents have been wondering whether their kids, who appear to have egg allergies, can get an H1N1 vaccine.
That vaccine is made the same way as seasonal flu vaccine: It is grown in an egg-based culture.
But Dr. Allen Lieberman said his practice with Dr. William Howland III, Allergy and Asthma Center of Austin, wants anxious parents to know their potentially egg-allergic children might be able to tolerate a swine flu shot. (Children and young adults are at a higher risk of complications from the H1N1 swine flu, and among those in a priority group for vaccination.)
“We used to turn these kids away, but now that there is a test for the vaccine,” Lieberman told me. It’s the same test the clinic has been following before administering seasonal flu shots to children whose parents believe they have an egg allergy. (Adults usually know if they have one, but the same test can be done on people of any age.)
What the clinic and other allergy specialist do is a scratch test on the skin to see if there is a reaction to the vaccine. The egg content of flu shots varies from year to year, and this year’s seasonal flu shots did not contain much, he said. (There isn’t a test for the mist form of the vaccine, Lieberman said.)
“This fall we have been very successful and able to safely immunize over 50 egg allergic children to the seasonal flu vaccine,” Lieberman wrote in an e-mail before we talked. “We hope to have the same success now that the H1N1 vaccine is here. With the rise in food allergies and all the children who have egg allergy and asthma, this has been very good news.”
Lieberman added that some children who are believed to have egg allergies really don’t and others outgrow the allergy by age 5.
His office has a limited supply of H1N1 vaccine, and some parents are bringing in syringes from their pediatrician’s office for Lieberman to use after the child is tested.
So far, Lieberman said today, his office has tested about five egg-allergy children and the tests were negative so they received the vaccine.
“I am optimistic we should be able to immunize many children,” he wrote in an e-mail.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment Categories: Vaccines
October 20, 2009
State's allocation of swine flu vaccine nears 1 million doses
To date, Texas doctors and clinics have received nearly 1 million doses of swine flu vaccine based on the latest allocations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the state announced this afternoon.
The CDC allocated 454,200 more H1N1 doses last week — about half in shot form, half in FluMist — bringing the total to 960,400 doses.
Health care providers are being asked to give vaccine priority to pregnant women; children ages 2 through 4 years; children 5 years through 18 years old who are at higher risk of severe illness should they get the flu; and health care workers.
The 960,000 doses have been allocated to 5,053 medical providers, with some going to local health departments. About 12,000 providers have registered to get vaccine.
The state advises people to call their doctors or local clinics about getting vaccinated.
Texas expects to receive 15 million doses of the vaccine by the end of January.
Permalink | Comments (12) | Post your comment Categories: Vaccines
October 12, 2009
Here's an easy way to find a flu vaccine
With spotty supplies of flu vaccine and some schools canceling planned immunization clinics, the American Lung Association is promoting its Flu Clinic Locator, a Web site to help folks find a vaccine venue near home.
Right now, the site just has information about where to get a seasonal flu vaccine. All you need to do is plug in your ZIP code and up pops a list of locations, mainly pharmacies and grocery stores that are holding flu shot clinics.
I asked for clinics within 5 miles of my 78756 ZIP, and the site said there are 2,476 clinics. How can that be? It turns out, many of the clinics are at the same location, but on different days and times. The bottom line: Shots and FluMist nasal spray are available to inoculate you against seasonal flu; you just need to look.
It takes a couple of weeks for the vaccine to protect you, and health authorities advise people to get a seasonal flu shot and a vaccine for the novel H1N1 virus, or swine flu. The seasonal flu shot won’t protect you against the swine flu.
By the way, the spread of swine flu is continuing to decline in the community, according to doctors at Dell Children’s Medical Center, and shows no signs of worsening in its severity. If you are confused about what to do if your child gets ill with flu or whether to seek medical treatment, here’s a good online guide from Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions.
The best protection against sickness is good hygiene: clean hands, covered coughs and staying away from sick people. And getting vaccinated. I’ve already had a seasonal flu shot. And while I’m not in a high risk group for swine flu — I’m older and have no chronic health conditions — I’m still getting a shot as soon as one is available to me.
Permalink | Comments (10) | Post your comment Categories: Vaccines
October 5, 2009
Clinic offering free seasonal flu shots to seniors, caregivers
WellMed — a senior health care group — is celebrating its move to new digs in Central Austin by offering free seasonal flu shots this Tuesday and Thursday to Medicare-eligible seniors and to caregivers affiliated with Family Eldercare and Austin Groups for the Elderly.
These shots will not protect people from swine flu, or the H1N1 virus, but they will help people who are having trouble finding vaccine to guard against regular seasonal flu. The availability of shots for regular flu is spotty as manufacturers focus on making more vaccine for the swine flu.
WellMed at Midtown, formerly on 38th Street, is offering the free shots in its new space at 3708 Jefferson, Suite A, both days from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
The flu shots will not be charged back to Medicare, clinic officials said.
WellMed has two other clinics in Austin. Others in Texas are in San Antonio, Boerne and New Braunfels. The new space marks WellMed’s 24th in Texas.
Permalink | Comments (12) | Post your comment Categories: Vaccines
September 30, 2009
Swine flu vaccine coming slowly; seasonal vaccine supply becomes spotty
State officials just announced that Texas will initially get about half as much swine flu vaccine as it expected. Meanwhile, supplies of vaccine for regular seasonal flu have become spotty around Central Texas and liquid Tamiflu, used to prevent or treat the flu, has been in short supply for several weeks.
The supply of H1N1 vaccine is coming in more slowly than anticipated, and instead of 3.4 million doses of the vaccine by mid-October, the latest estimates are that no more than 1.7 million doses will be available by then, said Dr. David Lakey, state health commissioner. He appealed to the public to be patient.
“We’ve been told that we’ll have about 15 million doses for Texas after all is said and done, but it won’t be available all at once,” Lakey said in a news release. “The vaccine will trickle in week to week, especially at first. It’s a fluid situation driven primarily by how much vaccine the manufacturers produce each week.”
One of the groups that will have to be patient are pregnant women, Lakey said. The first kind of H1N1 vaccine the state will receive, FluMist, should not be given to pregnant women. That vaccine will go to children 2 and 3 years of age, he said.
The supply of seasonal flu vaccine is spotty. For example, shots are available at H-E-B and other places around Central Texas, but if you don’t have an appointment by now to be vaccinated at Austin Regional Clinic, you could be out of luck.
As for seasonal flu vaccine, some clinics and doctors’ office are out of it for now, and others say they have more coming in. The Williamson County and Cities Health District, say they have plenty, and some people have gotten in line as early as 6 a.m. to wait two hours until shot clinics open.
With regular flu season officially beginning on Sunday — it typically doesn’t peak in Texas until January or February — it is unusual for supplies to be spotty so early.
High demand for seasonal flu shots this year is a factor. And some people might have mistakenly thought that getting a seasonal flu shot now would protect them from the widely circulating H1N1 virus, health officials said. It won’t. People will still need the H1N1 vaccine to be protected from that strain.
“The shortage has been created because the government has requested that manufacturers stop making the seasonal flu vaccine and focus on producing the H1N1 vaccine,” said Sandy Carnelly, a spokeswoman for Austin Diagnostic Clinic. “I would therefore make the assumption that the shortage is a national issue.”
H-E-B still has plenty of seasonal flu shots, said Leslie Lockett, an H-E-B spokeswoman. She didn’t know when the stores would get H1N1 flu shots, but people at highest risk of serious complications from flu would be given priority with the general public served next.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has not returned a call.
To cope with a shortage of liquid Tamiflu, pharmacies have been compounding capsules — or turning them into a liquid — by suspending them in fluid. But now “we’re anticipating a shortage of the compounding fluids,” Lockett said. “We’re educating parents, if they want the capsule, they can break up the capsule and put it in apple sauce.”
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Vaccines
August 28, 2009
Texas jumps to rank 12th nationally in childhood vaccination rates
After several years of steady of gains, the state can claim bragging rights on its childhood vaccination rates.
Texas jumped to 12th in the nation in 2008 for vaccinating 77.8 percent of children ages 19 months through 35 months. The rate is up a smidge from 77.3 percent in 2007, according to the National Immunization Survey released this week by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but it was enough to bump Texas up from 22nd place in 2007, according to the Department of State Health Services. It’s also a big leap from where the state was six years earlier when it ranked 45th nationally in childhood immunization rates.
The 2008 rate is an all-time high for Texas, state officials said.
“We don’t put a lot of stock in year-to-year rankings,” said Doug McBride, state health department spokesman. “But the impressive part of those (new) results for Texas is we are continuing an overall upward trend since 2002,” when the rate was 65 percent.
Nationally, the average childhood vaccination rate in 2008 was 76.1.
The survey assesses six vaccine series: diphtheria/tetanus/pertussis (four doses); polio (three doses); measles/mumps/rubella (one dose); hepatitis B (three doses); Haemophilus influenzae type b (three doses); and varicella (one dose).
State officials noted that the 77.8 percentage does not mean the other 22.2 percent of young children in Texas have not received any vaccines. Rather, it means that they are missing at least one dose of the vaccines that were counted in the survey.
Permalink | Comments (6) | Post your comment Categories: Vaccines
May 21, 2009
Health department offers shots so low-income students can meet school vaccination requirements
To help incoming seventh graders meet a new state vaccination requirement, the Austin/Travis County Health and Human Services Department is offering meningitis shots at a clinic June 6 at its Far South Health Center, 405 West Stassney.
The vaccines will be offered to students 11 years of age and older who are uninsured, underinsured or Medicaid recipients. There is a $10 visit fee for students who are not on Medicaid. No one will be denied shots because they can’t pay, the health department said.
The clinic will be held that Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Call 972-5520 for an appointment and say that you are interested in the special clinic for seventh graders. Children under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Starting in the fall, seventh graders in Texas are required to be vaccinated against meningitis and varicella, or chickenpox. They also most have a Tdap booster shot to protect against tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis, or whooping cough, according to the Department of State Health Services.
More details on school immunization requirements can be found on the department’s Web site.
Permalink | Comments (3) | Post your comment Categories: Vaccines
