KANSAS TO RECEIVE 15,000 ADDITIONAL DOSES OF FLU VACCINE
Doses Go Directly to Local Health Departments

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) expects local health departments in Kansas to receive approximately 15,000 doses of flu vaccine from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from mid-November to mid-January. This is in addition to the 75,360 doses coming to KDHE during that same time period.

In addition, KDHE has access to additional pediatric influenza vaccine (for 6-23 month olds) for distribution in Kansas. Health care providers wishing to order pediatric doses should contact their local health department.

The 15,000 doses of vaccine that will go directly to local health departments is vaccine that was ordered from these entities originally. The CDC worked with flu vaccine manufacturer Aventis Pasteur to ensure that vaccine not yet shipped would be redistributed nationally, but in doing so also wanted to ensure that local health departments received their orders.

"With this vaccine coming to Kansas in addition to what KDHE will receive, we believe that each county will receive enough vaccine equal to at least 30 percent of their high risk population," said Sue Bowden, KDHE Immunizations Director.

"KDHE will continue the redistribution of vaccine as more arrives, and will support and work with local health departments as they allocate the vaccine locally," said Richard Morrissey, KDHE Interim Director of Health.

Recommendations for Providers and Individuals:

The local health department will coordinate orders received from providers in their county and allocate available doses. The health department will submit their county's approved orders to the state health department, who will then submit all orders for the state. Vaccine will then be shipped and billed directly to the approved provider.

Any individual who is considered at high-risk for complications of the flu (see CDC guidelines below) should listen for further local information regarding the arrival of additional flu vaccine in their community.

Flu Activity in Kansas:

Kansas is reporting sporadic influenza activity and this is usual for this time of year. There have been no culture-confirmed cases of influenza yet in Kansas. January is often the peak month for flu season in the state, and in some years, the peak is even later. Some of the additional vaccine is expected to arrive in January.

Vaccine from Universities:

This week, KDHE shipped 1,830 doses of flu vaccine made available by six state universities that agreed to receive a smaller amount of vaccine and allow KDHE to purchase their remaining order. The vaccine was provided according to KDHE's redistribution plan.

Flu Vaccine Redistribution Plan:

The KDHE redistribution plan is to ensure that there is a minimal level of vaccine coverage in every county and that no county would go completely without vaccine. The first priority of the state was to make sure that every county has had enough vaccine shipped to them to cover 20% of the estimated high-risk population.

With remaining doses, vaccine will be allocated and shipped to local health departments using a formula based on an estimate of the county population still at need as a proportion of the total state population at need.

Population at need was derived from the estimates of the total at-risk population in each county. From that is subtracted out the total doses of vaccine shipped to each county, by county.

KDHE Provider Survey:

KDHE is requesting that doctors and other health care providers continue to provide updated information regarding flu vaccine supplies and needs to their local health department, since local distribution decisions will be made at that level. The county health departments will then communicate with KDHE so that cross-county distribution can be accomplished if necessary. This will allow the distribution of vaccine to the areas of greatest need.

Due to the vaccine shortage, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has provided guidelines for health care providers to follow regarding vaccination of high-risk individuals only. High-risk individuals are as follows:

• People 65 years of age and older
• Children ages 6 months to 23 months
• Adults and children 2 years of age and older with chronic lung or heart disorders including heart disease or asthma
• Pregnant women
• Adults and children 2 years of age and older with chronic metabolic diseases (including diabetes), kidney diseases, blood disorders (such as sickle cell anemia), or weakened immune systems, including persons with HIV/AIDS
• Children and teenagers, 6 months to 18 years of age, who take aspirin daily
• Residents of nursing homes and other chronic-care facilities
• Household members and out-of-home caregivers of infants under the age of 6 months (Children under the age of 6 months cannot be vaccinated.)
• Healthcare workers who provide direct, hands-on patient care with regular frequency to the priority group patients listed above

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 (FluMist).

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

For more information regarding flu vaccine and steps you can take to protect yourself from the flu please go to: www.kdheks.gov.

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