H1N1 vaccine arrives in Bourbon County

Wednesday, October 14, 2009
AnnaMarie Simon, 6, receives her first dose of the H1N1 flu vaccination from Bourbon County Public Health Department Director Alice Maffett Wednesday morning. Simon received the live attenuated vaccines in the form of a nasal spray. (Michael Pommier/Tribune)

Bourbon County Public Health Department Director Alice Maffett began administering H1N1 flu vaccines Thursday morning after receiving the first shipment from the state. Maffett said the county received a limited shipment this week which will be given to healthcare workers, emergency responders, and children 2-10-years-old.

"That's where this first allocation of vaccinations are going to go," Maffett said.

According to Maffett, the county received live attenuated vaccines in the form of a nasal spray. The vaccine contains a weakened virus which activates in the nasal cavity. The nasal spray can be used by healthy individuals older than 2-years-old through 49-years-old, she added. Despite the fact that the virus is live, it will not cause the flu.

"It cannot give you the flu," Maffett said. "With any vaccine there are side effects and so that might mimic it that they think it's the flu."

The county will receive a shipment of the vaccine every week with each shipment containing more vaccines than the last, according to Maffett. The shipments will include a mixture of the nasal form as well as the injectable form of the vaccine. Maffett said there is a process to determine which form of the vaccine is right for each individual.

The use of private providers will assist in administering the vaccines to those who chose to receive it. Maffett said the county has contracted with Mercy Physician Group, SEK Urgent Care, and Walgreens to administer the vaccine.

"We're utilizing the private providers in our community," Maffett said. "They will also be able to administer the vaccine to the public."

Although the vaccine will be available free of charge from the Bourbon County Public Health Department, the private providers are allowed to charge a minimal administration fee.

The H1N1 flu has had a minimal impact in Bourbon County so far. Maffett said there have been some hospitalization, mainly children, but there have not been any deaths caused by the virus.

Maffett said that when the county receive larger shipments she would like to get into the area schools so that the children can get their vaccines, with their parent's consent.

"I want to work with the school officials in our communities to vaccinate those children," Maffett said.

The state has not determined how long the vaccines will be sent to the counties, however the H1N1 flu is expected to circulate for about two years, according to Maffett. She added, the government is working on incorporating the vaccine into the seasonal flu vaccine for next year.

"They are working towards that goal of incorporating H1N1 into the seasonal shot, so there will just be one injection next year," Maffett said.

The vaccine will be available to the priority groups as designated by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The priority groups include: Pregnant women, healthcare workers and emergency responders, people caring for a child under 6 months old, children 6-months-old to adults 24-years-old, and adults 25-64 years-old with underlying medical conditions. Maffett said no order has been placed on the priority groups in which the vaccine must be administered.