Short Supplies Cost Vermilion County its Public Health Flu Clinics

Vermilion County's Health Department won't provide seasonal flu clinics for the first time in over 30 years.

Administrator Steven Laker says it's not receiving enough doses of the vaccine from a distributor to even hold one day of the walk-in clinic, despite being told by a distributor two weeks ago that enough would be available. That will force a few thousand people to get their shots from clinics and retail pharmacies.

Laker contends public health departments are being squeezed for vaccines by those pharmacies. And he says it's not a supply problem, but rather one of distributors meeting federal demands for H1N1, or swine flu vaccine:

"So they had a dual production stream going -- H1N1 and seasonal flu," Laker said. "My conjecture is that the vaccine is manufactured -- they just can't get it packaged and distributed while they're settling their federal contracts."

Laker says the department will get 600 doses of seasonal flu vaccine to fulfill contracts for vaccinating state and county workers. An additional 300 doses of children's vaccine will be available by appointment only while supplies last.

Vermilion County's flu clinics have been held each year since 1976. Laker says another concern is they're a revenue stream -- his department stands to lose about 50-thousand dollars. But he says it's too soon to say what other programs might be affected.

Meanwhile, demand for flu vaccine at the U of I's McKinley Health Center has temporarily suspended shots to faculty, staff, retirees, and state workers. Director Dr. Robert Palinkas says some students may even be turned away as it works with a limited supply. He says it's unclear when additional vaccines will become available.