Major Vaccine Delays Plague Doctors & Hospitals
PALM DESERT – Two more people have died this week from the H1N1 virus. They did not live in the Coachella Valley. That brings the total to 20 people.
The number of confirmed cases are also on the rise. That number is up by 232 people.
When it comes to getting the swine flu vaccine into the hands of local doctors, there have been major delays. Most valley medical groups are nearly out of vaccines, leaving patients and doctors frustrated.
Dr. Marc Hoffing at Palm Springs’ Desert Oasis Health Care says, “We only have received 100 doses of the injectable flu vaccine for Swine Flu. We have 80,000 patients that we take care of. We figured for our patient population that would be at high risk: pregnant women, children, caretakers of children, we asked for 20,000. We’ve gotten 100 so far.”
Kaiser Permanente Health Care in Palm Desert has only given out 350 flu mists and 500 injectables H1N1 vaccines. Ronald Downing came with his daughter, but had to settle for a seasonal flu vaccine.
“My daughter, I just want to get her protected as well as myself. There seems to be a shortage. We’re not able to get it today. So, we just got the seasonal shot for today and we’ll try back in a couple of weeks to see if we can get the swine flu vaccine,” says Downing.
The California Department of Public Health supervises the distribution of swine flu doses. We asked them why hundreds of vaccines were sent to a day spa and laser surgery center in Indian Wells, while the Desert’s largest primary care providers hardly get any.
The state says county health officials decide who gets vaccines and who doesn’t. But county health officials say they’re frustrated and confused by the state, leaving local doctors caught in the middle.
“The big problem is there the contradiction between the education effort that’s gone out to patients creating the demand, and rightfully so. And there’s the fact the demand cannot be met because the vaccine is not available,” says Dr. Hoffing.
Riverside County health official Barbara Cole tell News Channel 3 they are reviewing the information the health care providers are giving them when it comes to their vaccine needs.
That may change which doctors get it.
It likely all comes down to vaccine makers ramping up production.
One other bit of information doctors tell us is people who have already been infected and recovered from swine flu, do not need a swine flu vaccine. They are already immune from future swine flu infection.
