Oct 19, 2009 5:18 pm US/Central
Pediatricians Get Limited Doses Of H1N1 Vaccine
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
-
-
Vials of H1N1 vaccine by manufacturer CSL are displayed near its production line in Melbourne, Australia on September 24, 2009.
WILLIAM WEST/AFP/Getty Images
Chicago pediatricians are starting to get the H1N1 vaccine, but some say they're going to run out in a couple of days. It means it could be months till your kids get the vaccine - if they get it at all. CBS 2's Dana Kozlov reports the vaccine is being given on a priority-only basis right now.
City health officials say that will continue at citywide clinics, too. But they still don't know when those clinics will take place.
In the meantime, pediatricians are getting slammed with questions from anxious parents that they can't always answer.
Mary Newburg is one parent wondering when she can bring her children in for the vaccine. But she says her pediatrician told her only 2 percent of the vaccine they ordered came arrived last week.
Dr. Chris Donohoe, a pediatrician at Chicago's Children's Health Care Associates, says it's a similar situation at his office. He says his practice just got its first 200 doses last week, forcing the practice's doctors to decide who, after office staff, gets them now and who doesn't.
"So what we did was we made up a list, and we ended up calling these people," said Dr. Donohoe. "And so tomorrow, we will start in kind giving those vaccinations to that group of patients."
He says that they will most likely run out of the H1N1 vaccine by Tuesday or Wednesday of this week.
That's the story at pediatric practices across the city right now. Dr. Julie Morita, the head of Chicago's immunization program, says there's no other option.
"The city's health department has received requests for vaccines from over 600 different clinics or hospital settings, and so we have to distribute the vaccines equitably," Dr. Morita said.
But Dr. Morita doesn't know when the next shipment will come in or how many doses it will contain. That's means doctors like Chris Donohoe have no assurances.
"We did not get the type and the amount that we initially thought we might get," said Dr. Donohoe. "I'm not sure if we have any guarantees."
Dr. Donohoe says the city told him to tell parents to call 311 for H1N1 clinic information. But Dr. Morita doesn't have dates or locations for them, yet. And even when she does, there may not be enough vaccine to initially go around.
"We'll recommend people come back another day to get their vaccine," Dr. Morita said.
So what does she suggest? Keep calling. And be prepared, if headed to an H1N1 clinic for the vaccine, to make more than one trip.
She believes in the end anyone who wants a vaccine will get one. Doctors hope she's right.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
The Tattooed Ladies of Hollywood
Click to enlarge
Snow Clobbers Chicago For Evening Rush Hour 12 mins ago 
New Program Targets Mid-Career, Jobless Chicagoans 31 mins ago 
Stumble It!
Reporting
Comments