KDHE SURVEYS HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS
REGARDING FLU VACCINE SUPPLY AND DISTRIBUTION

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) is surveying health care providers across the state to determine where flu vaccine supplies are, and how the existing supplies are being distributed to the public. This initiative in response to the October 5 announcement from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that Chiron Corp., one of two influenza vaccine manufacturers would not be able to supply flu vaccine this year due to production issues.

State Redistribution Plan:

Since last week time, KDHE has been working with partners at the federal, state, and local level to create guidelines for vaccine inventory and redistribution statewide following CDC's recommendations that the flu vaccine be provided only to high risk individuals.

As occurred last fall, KDHE has re-established the Vaccine Distribution Census. Providers needing vaccine can request or offer vaccine by going to http://www.kdheks.gov/flu/redistribution.html. The information collected through this survey process will facilitate the redistribution of vaccine to those who need it most. The redistribution effort is based on
health care providers voluntarily providing vaccine. KDHE requests that all health care providers fill out the survey, providing information about their vaccine needs and supplies.

“We are asking health care providers and businesses to assist us in determining where the current influenza vaccine doses are in the state of Kansas by filling out our web based survey,” said Richard Morrissey, KDHE Interim Director of Health. “This is obviously a tough situation, but through our work together we hope to help facilitate redistribution of vaccine supplies to see that as many high risk individuals as possible get vaccinated."

National Redistribution Plan:

Today CDC announced the first phase of the national plan to allocate flu vaccine to those who need it most. Over the next 6-8 weeks the sole manufacturer of influenza vaccine, Aventis Pasteur will distribute 14.2 million doses of vaccine to high priority providers, including hospitals, long-term care facilities, nursing homes, and private providers who care for young children. In addition, all vaccine orders from Aventis and Chiron for the Vaccine for Children (VFC) Program will be honored (for high risk individuals only).

According to CDC guidelines, all Kansas health care providers providing flu vaccine are asked to provide vaccine to the high risk population only. As a result of the restricted flu vaccine recommendations, several local health departments cancelled planned Flu-X exercises. These exercises were scheduled to help counties prepare for potential mass immunization needs in
the future, while at the same time providing flu shots to participants who attended the events.

The following counties will proceed with the scheduled Flu-X clinics, but have modified them to only supply vaccine for those individuals who are considered high risk.

Oct.14 - Saline Co. - Bicentennial Center, 800 The Midway, Salina
Oct. 21 - Shawnee Co. - KS Expocentre
Oct. 23 - Douglas Co. - Free State High, 4700 Overland Dr., Lawrence

Who should get vaccinated with the flu shot this season:

• All children aged 6-23 months
• Adults 65 years and older
• Persons 2-64 with underlying chronic medical conditions
• All women who will be pregnant during influenza season
• Residents of nursing homes and long term care facilities
• Children 6 months - 18 years of age on chronic aspirin therapy
• Health care workers with direct patient care, and
• Out-of-home caregivers and household contacts of children aged 6 months
  and younger.

Other vaccination recommendations:

Healthy persons who are 5-49 and not pregnant, including healthcare workers (except those who care for severely immuno-compromised patients in special care units) and persons caring for children under 6 months should be encouraged to be vaccinated with intranasally administered live, attenuated influenza vaccine.

• Persons in priority groups identified above should be encouraged to search locally for vaccine if their usual healthcare provider does not have vaccine available.
• Many children under 9 require two doses of vaccine if they have not previously been vaccinated. All children at high risk of complications from influenza, including those age 6-23 months, who present for vaccination, should be vaccinated with a first or second dose, depending on vaccination status. However, doses should not be held in reserve to ensure that two doses will be available. Rather, available vaccine should be used to vaccinate persons in priority groups on a first-come, first-served basis.

Vaccination of Persons in Non-Priority Groups:

Persons who are not included in one of the priority groups above should forego or defer vaccination.

Steps the public can take to avoid catching or spreading the flu:

• Proper hand washing with soap and warm water
• Stay home from school or work when sick.
• Cover the mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing.

FluMist, - Nasal Vaccine

FluMist, the intranasal flu vaccine, is a viable option for healthy 5 – 49 year old individuals who are contacts of infants under 6 months of age or are health care workers who provide direct patient care. FluMist is not recommended for health care workers taking care of severely immuno-compromised people requiring a protective environment (for example, people with hematopoietic stem cell transplants). However, people who have contact with others with lesser degrees of immunosuppression can take FluMist, (for example: people who have contact with someone with diabetes, those with asthma taking corticosteroids, or those infected with HIV).

Links to information on influenza and vaccination:

http://www.cdc.gov/nip/
| http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/pdf/wk/mm53d1005.pdf
| http://www.kdheks.gov/flu/index.html

Links to respiratory etiquette:

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/covercough.htm

Links to handwashing:

http://www.kdheks.gov/wash_em/howtowash.htm

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