SK deals with flu vaccine shortage

Have you had a flu vaccine? Many of Port Orchard’s high-risk residents haven’t, and winter is lurking just around the corner.

According to the Washington State Department of Health (DOH), there have been only scattered reports of the flu in Washington state so far. Six cases of influenza A, H3N2 have been reported in King County. Of those six, four are from a nursing home, with the other two brought home by European travelers.

There has also been a case reported in Skagit County, but the number of cases is well within the normal range for this time of year.

That could change in these months of wind, rain and snow, before spring glides over Western Washington. Those at risk for influenza include children age 6 to 23 months, seniors age 65 and older, those age 2 to 64 with chronic medical conditions, pregnant women, residents of nursing homes and assisted living facilities, children age 6 months to 18 years on chronic aspirin therapy, healthcare workers that come in contact with patients, caregivers and babysitters.

Seniors age 65 and older make up 10.6 percent of the County’s population and care facilities are plentiful in Port Orchard. Some administrators, however, are not getting what they need to protect their populations.

“Our facility contains a high-risk population and we have residents who have limited means of receiving vaccinations from their physicians,” said Amy Denton, a Registered Nurse at Orchard Point Memory Care Community. “It’s of great importance that (residents) receive their flu vaccinations here at the facility level.”

However, Denton said she was fearful that Orchard Point wouldn’t receive any of the coveted vaccinations.

“We were informed at one point that there would not be any vaccinations available to our facility,” Denton said. “I’ve since worked with physicians’ offices, the Kitsap County Health Department and national surveys in attempts to obtain the vaccine.”

Denton explained many of the surveys go to the drug company producing the vaccine in hopes of obtaining more.

“(The surveyors) compile information about who needs vaccines and how many,” Denton said. “They determine who’s priority and apparently are compiling this information and sending it to the drug company.”

Although Denton said she will continue to work until all her residents and staff are vaccinated, she still has a long way to go.

“I have managed to vaccinate approximately 50 percent of the residents and none of the staff,” Denton said, however she said she will “absolutely” continue to seek the vaccine through the coming winter months.

In contrast, some seniors living in nursing facilities didn’t have any trouble obtaining the flu vaccine.

Margaret Conley, director of nursing services at the Washington Veterans Home in Retsil, said all residents of the home and the staff were vaccinated — that is, all who would participate.

“We had enough to do that,” Conley said. “I hope that we’re not unique in this.”

Conley said the vaccines were sent to the facility from the Seattle Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

“The vaccine was actually in our facility before the news broke that there was a shortage,” Conley said. “The county’s taking care of its veterans.”

Decker said she has a good idea of why supplies are so short across the country.

Decker explained that only two companies are allowed to sell the vaccine in the United States. One of the companies is located in the country and the other, Chiron, is located in the Great Britain. Chiron’s factory in Liverpool, the factory that produces half of the States’ flu vaccines, was shut down this fall due to unspecified manufacturing problems.

However, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) recently announced that approximately 160,000 additional doses of the vaccine will by sent to Washington state in the next few months.

According to the Washington State DOH, the number is Washington state’s share under a CDC formula designed to distribute the remaining vaccine around the nation.

For more information contact the Washington State Department of Health at (800) 525-0127 or visit www.doh.wa.gov; or contact the Kitsap County Health District.

Comment on this story.

COMMENTING RULES: We encourage an open exchange of ideas in our online community, but we ask you to follow our guidelines for respecting community standards. In a nutshell, don't say anything you wouldn't want your mother to read.