KANSAS BEGINS RECEIVING SHIPMENTS OF FLU VACCINE
Flu Season Peaks in Kansas in January or Later

Shipments of flu vaccine are beginning to arrive in the state just in time to get Kansans who are at high risk for getting the flu protected before the holidays. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) has received information from several county health departments and private providers confirming the arrival of the shipments. The state is expecting 90,000 doses of vaccine between now and mid-January.

"The doses are arriving just in time for those individuals at high risk for getting the flu to be vaccinated before the busy holidays when more people gather together allowing influenza to be spread easily, quickly, and often," said Sue Bowden, KDHE Immunizations Director.

KDHE announced last month that local health departments would begin receiving approximately 15,000 doses of flu vaccine they had ordered from Aventis Pasteur. In addition 75,360 doses are being sent for KDHE distribution to counties in need throughout the state. The first shipments are now arriving and will continue to come in for the next several weeks allowing high-risk individuals in communities with low vaccine supplies to now have access to flu shots.

Current Flu Activity in Kansas:

Kansas is currently 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 through March is typically the peak time for flu in Kansas.

"The flu season in Kansas often peaks in January or February and sometimes as late as March, so it is not too late for high-risk Kansans to get a flu shot," said Richard Morrissey, KDHE Interim Director of Health. "It's important to get a flu shot as soon as it becomes available in your community, because it takes about two weeks for the vaccine to begin to protect you from the virus."

Recommendations for Individuals:

Any individual who is considered at high-risk for complications of the flu (see CDC guidelines below) should contact their local health department for information regarding where available vaccine is located.

Recommendations for Providers:

The local health department will coordinate orders received from private health care 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 provider.

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.

High-Risk Individuals:

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:

• 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.

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