Vaccine delay bumps flu clinic to November

By CANDACE CHASE

The Daily Inter Lake

The Flathead City-County Health Department issued good and bad news about this year's flu vaccine.

An abundant supply of vaccine means no one should go without an immunization this year. But the bad news is the shot costs a little more and a distribution delay means the mass clinic got bumped from October to Nov. 8 and 9.

But the delay isn't really a bad thing, according to Boni Stout, head of the department's community health division. The immunization has more than enough time to provide protection before flu season begins.

"It starts in December and peaks in January and February," Stout said. People getting shots "are going to have great protection and it's going to last longer."

She said October clinics were more a matter of tradition than necessity. Stout said people need immunity before traveling for the Thanksgiving holidays when they could pick up or get infected with the virus.

"You can transmit the disease before you have any symptoms," she said. "We all need to do our bit and get vaccinated."

The mass clinic now is scheduled from 2 to 6 p.m. Nov. 8 and from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Nov. 9 in the Expo Building at the Flathead County Fairgrounds. Flu shots cost $25 for adults or $15 for children.

Medicare and Medicaid cover the cost with just a $1 copay from recipients.

Additional clinics include:

. Nov. 14 - Three Rivers ambulance building, 31 Seventh St. W., Columbia Falls, from 9 a.m. to noon.

. Nov. 14 - Golden Agers Senior Center, 121 Second St., Whitefish, from 1:30 to 4 p.m.

. Nov. 16 - Bethany Lutheran Church, 8559 Montana 35, Bigfork, from 10 a.m. to noon.

Stout said the public will save time while helping health officials train by attending the Nov. 8 and 9 centralized clinic.

As in the last two years, the mass clinic gives the public and health officials a chance to practice the procedure for emergency immunizations in the event of a pandemic or biological terrorism event.

"We've got the system down," Stout said.

Because of the large supply of vaccine available, anyone over six months old qualifies to receive a flu shot. During times of short supplies, people at high risk received the first doses available.

Because election day is the day before the clinic starts, the staff can't set up until the morning of Nov. 8. As a result, the department extended the mass clinic through Nov. 9.

According to Stout, the department faced new problems obtaining vaccine for this year's flu clinic.

She said she contacted Aventis, the world's largest flu vaccine producer, on Feb.1 to order 8,000 doses, but learned that distributors had purchased all of the medicine.

"We got shut out," she said.

The department was forced to order through one of the distributors at a higher price than that offered directly from the manufacturer.

"We made the assumption that we would have the vaccine in time for the clinic," Stout said.

However, distributors apparently give shipping preference to large store chains that place big orders. With the delay in delivery, the health department cut back its order to 6,000 since some people will get their vaccinations at earlier clinics offered at retail outlets.

Costco offers flu shots for $18 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 12, from 3 to 7 p.m. Oct. 17, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 4 and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 18.

Kmart offers $25 flu shots from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Oct. 25.

Albertsons has flu shots available for $25 from noon to 4 p.m. Nov. 4.

Reporter Candace Chase may be reached at 758-4436 or by e-mail at cchase@dailyinterlake.com.