Published: October 23, 2009 10:56 pm      

Counties waiting on vaccine

Officials falling short of goal to inoculate students.

Health department officials in Miami and Tipton counties are describing plans to distribute the H1N1 and seasonal flu vaccines as “a logistical nightmare.”

Both counties had planned to vaccinate children first to prevent the spread of the flu in schools and daycare centers, but are not receiving the necessary number of doses to implement the plan.

Noland Pyke with the Tipton County Health Department said the department requested 8,000 doses and received 200 of the mist vaccine in the first shipment. He said approximately 100 injectable doses have been received.

Michelle Siegfred, a licensed practical nurse with the Miami County Health Department, said they have received about 1,000 doses as of Friday.

Pyke said the Tipton County Health Department provided H1N1 vaccines to the Tipton County Hospital for emergency room employees and went to one day care.

He said as vaccines arrive, the plan is to inoculate students in kindergarten through the third grade at the Tri-Central and Tipton schools.

“It’s going to be a nightmare,” Pyke said. “Depending on what we receive from the state will determine what grades are vaccinated.”

Pyke said he can’t understand why some counties are vaccinating older adults instead of concentrating on the school-age population.

“The kids are spreading the flu,” he said. “Let’s get them vaccinated.”

Pyke said Tipton County officials decided in April that kids would receive the first round of vaccinations.

“That’s where its going to be spread most rapidly,” he said. “If we get the kids vaccinated, they can go to school and parents can go to work.”

Pyke said absenteeism in the Tipton County schools is approaching 20 percent.

Siegfred said one clinic for children between the ages of 2 and 5 was conducted, but only 100 people showed up. A clinic is planned for all grades at the North Miami schools.

She said emergency room employees at Duke’s Memorial Hospital and firefighters on ambulances have been vaccinated. Pregnant women are being vaccinated through their regular doctors.

“It’s horrible,” Siegfred said. “We don’t have enough.”

Miami County is targeting people ages 2 to 24.

Siegfred said there is a lot of absenteeism in all the Miami County schools as a result of the flu.

“People have to be patient, we will provide vaccinations as we receive the vaccine,” she said.

Siegfred said it has become “a logistical nightmare” because the H1N1 vaccine is not growing as rapidly as expected.

Miami County received 2,200 doses of the vaccine for the seasonal flu in the spring, but Siegfred said not have been received to vaccinate the kids.

• Ken de la Bastide is the Kokomo Tribune enterprise editor. He can be reached at 765-454-8580 or via e-mail at ken.delabastide@kokomotribune.com