Small Town News

Vaccination program continues

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Health Department will next head to preschools

The Las Animas-Huerfano Counties District Health Department is continuing its vaccination program against the Novel HIN1 virus in both of its assigned counties, with upcoming clinics planned for target populations such as younger children.

According to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), as of the end of last week there had been a total reported case number of 1306 hospitalizations and 25 from H1N1 cases in Colorado.

"State laboratory virologic surveillance continues to show that virtually all influenza viruses currently circulating in Colorado are 2009 H1N1 virus," me CDPHE has resported.

Despite having received about one-diird the original anticipated quantity of vaccine dosages, several clinics are planned in the bi-county area for the coming weeks. In addition to the clinics planned in Huerfano County in the coming week, the health department is also planning a clinic in Trinidad on Tuesday, Nov. 10 for students and staff at the South Central Council of Government's Early Learning Center and Kiddie Korner Pre-School.

Anotiier day of immunizations in Trinidad for students and staff is planned for Thursday, Nov. 12 at Head Start and A World of Discovery Learning.

"What we're trying to do is complete the first tier of the (Center for Disease Control - CDC) and CDPHE guideline," the department's executive director, Mary Garcia, said in a Thursday interview.

The immunizations are being provided in prioritized groupings, with the first priority being the immunization of pregnant women, mose that have household contact with children under six mondis, health care workers with direct patient care responsibilities, children between six months and four years old, as well children five years to 18 years old with underlying health conditions.

"You can see by us going to these daycares that we're comfortable where we're at with pregnant women -- and they can come any day, any time -- household contacts with children under six months -- we have had three clinics for this target group-- and health care workers widi direct patient care responsibility, (vaccines for them) we have distributed to the hospital here in Trinidad and to the hospital in Walsenburg," Garcia said. "Now we're down to (immunizing) children six months to four years of age, and we reach that target population at daycare centers."

Adding, "We're going to die larger daycare cen-ter...(and) we're also calling any smaller, licensed daycare center, telling them that we are mere on that day and to bring their kids and we can catch them all in one day."

The second prioritized group will add to the above groups emergency medical services workers, children aged six months to 24 years old and non-elderly adults with underlying health conditions. . The tiiird priority group includes me general public.

Vaccinations in smaller communities in outlying areas of the counties -- such as Branson, Primero, Hoehne, Kim and others -- are also planned, though no specific dates have yet been decided upon due to vaccine shipment uncertainties. "We are taking me vaccines to these areas. We will coordinate with their own government and go to their town meeting place or city hall," Garcia said. "When we go to Uiese smaller communities we are taking both vaccines (H1N1 and seasonal flu) with us, so mat people in (those communities) only have to go mat one time."

Garcia noted that it was procedurally sound to vaccinate for both me H1N1 and seasonal flu at the same time. "That is acceptable procedure," she said.

Garcia had also stressed in a Monday press release from the department that the relative uncertainty surrounding the specifics of long-term vaccination supplies made planning clinics far in advance a difficult proposition. "Unfortunately this is not one of those instances where you can plan ahead and schedule your H1N1 vaccination, or clinics, a couple of weeks out," she had stated. "Because of the way we are receiving vaccine and the different types we are receiving, we will be working closely with our target populations and adjusting our efforts week-by-week, offering what we have when we have it to the appropriate people. We are asking for a lot of patience and understanding as we move through the fall and winter months."

The virus was reported by the health department to have "just about peaked" for its first wave. "That's giving us an opportunity to catch up and vaccinate those individuals who have not receiving the vaccination yet," Garcia said Thursday. "We are anticipating another wave of the same virus at the end of the holiday season."

The vaccine currently in most supply, the nasal spray vaccine, contains a live, weakened virus and is only approved for persons of good health aged 2-49. "Due to the small number of doses received over the past four weeks, those doses will be made available to the individuals that can take the nasal spray vaccine that fall into one of the priority groups above," the department's Monday release had stated.

A dead virus is utilized in the injectable vaccine, most commonly reserved for those with underlying health conditions such as asthma or diabetes. The health department is expecting the injectable vaccine in more limited quantities. "That's what makes it so difficult for us to plan these clinics for any time out," Garcia said Thursday. "We can give what we have at the time; we can anticipate what we might (get), and we can work from there."

Cathy Montera, head of public nursing for the department, added, "We don't have a choice on what we're receiving -- the injectable or the flu mist (nasal spray) -- and what we're getting the most of is the flu mist."

The department's current vaccination plan follows an old public health strategy known as cocooning. "We're hoping to get these little ones vaccinated before Thanksgivings, and their parents and their care providers, and that in a sense creates what we call in healthcare a cocoon," Garcia said. "It creates around you this little shelter for those who have not received the vaccine. It's been a strategy with public health forever."

Adding, "It goes back to measles, mumps, rubella or any childhood vaccines we give. You always have those parents that don't want to vaccinate their children, and so when their child goes to school, they're pretty well protected from measles, mumps, rubella because 90 percent of the kids in that classroom have been vaccinated."

The health department will bill Medicare and Medicaid for the vaccinations, though fdr those without either it is also accepting donations in suggested amounts of $10-$20 payment for the vaccines.

Additional H1N1 information can be found on the Health Department's website at la-h-health.org or the CDC website at cdc.gov/flu or also online at flu.gov. CDPHE also maintains a 24-hour hotline for Novel H1N1 questions, with trained staff always available, at 1-877-462-2911.

Further information about H1N1 and local efforts to combat it can be viewed in a H1N1 special report conducted by the Health Dept. on the Trinidad Times Television website at www.trinidadtimestv.com.

"Everything is going well," Garcia said. "The public has been wonderful about cooperating and listening to the radio, reading the newspapers and following the various guidelines."



Copyright 2009 The Trinidad Times Independent, Trinidad, Colorado. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from SmallTownPapers, Inc.

© 2010 The Trinidad Times Independent Trinidad, Colorado. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from DAS.

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