KDHE Home - News 2000 - News Release

Kansas
Department of Health & Environment
Bill Graves, Governor
Clyde D. Graeber, Secretary

October 6, 2000

Contact: Sharon Watson, 785-296-5795

KDHE Encourages Higher-Risk Individuals to Get Flu Shot

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) is advising that people at greater health risk receive priority for obtaining this year's vaccination against influenza. Health care providers will still provide the shot to anyone who requests it, but vaccination campaigns aimed at immunizing the population at large are on hold until those who face the greatest risk are able to get vaccinated.

In June, the Centers for Disease and Prevention (CDC) announced expected delays in shipments and a possible shortage of this year's vaccine due to manufacturing problems. On September 28, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and CDC announced that flu vaccine supplies should be approximately what was distributed last year; however, they also noted a substantial amount of vaccine will reach providers later than usual.

"If you're in a higher-risk group, we encourage you to receive the flu vaccine as soon as you can in order to minimize your risk," said Vivian Kuawogai, Director of the state's Immunization Program. "Generally, however, it's never too late in the season for a flu shot to have some benefit."

Kuawogai said people who face the greatest health risk from the flu include:

• people 65 years of age and older;
• those with long-term heart or lung problems;
• residents of nursing homes, and other institutions housing patients who have serious long-term health problems;
• people who have kidney disease, cystic fibrosis, diabetes, anemia, severe asthma, cancer or immunologic disorders, and other medical conditions for which they are under the close supervision of a doctor;
• women in their second or third trimester of pregnancy.

KDHE also recommends that doctors, nurses, hospital staff, nursing home employees, visiting nurses, and anyone else who may transmit influenza to people in high risk groups receive the vaccine.

"As limited amounts of vaccine first become available, special efforts to reach high-risk individuals will likely continue into December and later," Kuawogai stated. "Mass vaccination campaigns will probably be scheduled later in the year, as an increasing amount of the vaccine becomes more readily available."

Kuawogai said that individual local health departments, not the state, purchase vaccine doses when available.

"The flu shot cannot cause a person to develop the flu," emphasized Kuawogai. "It normally takes about two weeks for someone to build up their immunity after they have received the shot."

More detailed information on flu vaccine supply is available on the CDC web at www.cdc.gov. 

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