Oct 24, 2009 10:30 pm US/Central
Officials: 7,000 Receive H1N1 Vaccination Saturday
Still, Many Turned Away For Lack Of Supply As President Declares National Emergency
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
President Barack Obama declared the H1N1 flu outbreak a national emergency and empowered his health secretary to suspend federal requirements and speed treatment for thousands of infected people.
The declaration that Obama signed late Friday authorized Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to bypass federal rules so health officials can respond more quickly to the outbreak, which has killed more than 1,000 people in the United States.
The goal is to remove bureaucratic roadblocks and make it easier for sick people to seek treatment and medical providers to provide it immediately. That could mean fewer hurdles involving Medicare, Medicaid or health privacy regulations.
"As a nation, we have prepared at all levels of government, and as individuals and communities, taking unprecedented steps to counter the emerging pandemic," Obama wrote in the declaration, which the White House announced Saturday.
He said the pandemic keeps evolving, the rates of illness are rising rapidly in many areas and there's a potential "to overburden health care resources."
Because of vaccine production delays, the government has backed off initial, optimistic estimates that as many as 120 million doses would be available by mid-October. As of Wednesday, only 11 million doses had been shipped to health departments, doctor's offices and other providers, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials said.
The government now hopes to have about 50 million doses of H1N1 flu vaccine out by mid-November and 150 million in December.
At Wright College and five other schools around the city Saturday, people weren't aware of the national emergency but lined up anyway for a chance to get the H1N1 vaccine.
CBS 2 caught up with Karen Gonzales after she finally made it to the front of the line after a three hour wait. Gonzales said her back was sore, but it was a small price to pay for peace of mind.
"Hopefully, knowing I'm protected, I can focus on just the baby coming," said Gonzales.
The Chicago mother is among the at-risk groups that experts say are most vulnerable to the virus and should get vaccinated as quickly as possible.
"Children, young adults, pregnant women, adults with underlying medical conditions, healthcare workers and anyone who lives with an infant younger than six months of age," are most at risk, Chicago Department of Health spokesman Tim Hadac said.
Due to the incredible demand, hundreds of people who showed up at Wright College Saturday were turned away.
Angelo Tufano was one of those sent home.
"I just want this so I don't have to fear for my life," the Chicago resident said.
Tufano has an enlarged heart. It's a condition brought on by a previous bout with the flu, so H1N1 has him petrified. Being turned away made him angry.
"I came in there with my medical documentation right here ... and they told me no, because they changed it," said Tufano.
That meant that shots were given on a first-come, first-served basis. Hadac says the national vaccine shortage means some people will have to wait for the vaccine.
"Inevitably, on the first day of a mass vaccination drive in the middle of the world's first influenza pandemic in 40 years, demand will exceed supply in the beginning, and that's the case today," said Hadac.
In all, the city vaccinated about 7,000 people Saturday -- most were happy, especially those who came expecting a needle and instead only suffered the discomfort of nasal mist.
That was the case for 10-year-old Jennifer Jaballas who feared she'd be getting a painful shot, only to get the mist.
"It felt like water was going up my nose and I couldn't really breathe," said Jaballas.
Illinois saw two deaths due to H1N1 and 66 new hospitalizations because of the virus in the last week.
The Illinois Department of Public Health released the updated statistics on Friday. The updated information means that 22 people in Illinois have died of the flu and there have been 542 hospitalizations due to the disease.
According to the statistics, the highest number of hospitalizations at 163 have been children between the ages of five and 18. The greatest number of deaths, eight, fell in the 25 to 49 age bracket.
The Department of Public Health is encouraging people to get their flu shots from their doctors. Those who don't have a doctor or don't have the financial means are encouraged to get vaccines at the free clinics which will continue for the rest of the flu season.
H1N1 flu is more widespread now than it's ever been. Health authorities say almost 100 children have died on a national level from this flu, and 46 states now have widespread flu activity.
Worldwide, more than 5,000 people have reportedly died from the H1N1 flu since it emerged this year and developed into a global epidemic, the World Health Organization said Friday. Since most countries have stopped counting individual H1N1 flu cases, the figure is considered an underestimate.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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