65,900 Doses of H1N1 Vaccine Coming to Oklahoma

News9.com

OKLAHOMA CITY – An additional 65,9000 does of the H1N1 vaccine are expected to arrive in Oklahoma next week, state health officials announced today.

The doses will include the nasal spray and shot version of the vaccine.

County health departments will target delivery of the vaccine to healthy school-aged children, pre-K through grade12, at school locations that are experiencing elevated absenteeism rates due to children and staff out with influenza. They also will focus on children 6 months through 18 years with chronic medical conditions, pregnant women and health care workers in direct contact with acutely ill patients, officials said.

The vaccine will be available through clinics conducted by local county health departments and the Indian Health Service.

Some of the doses also may be distributed to health care providers.

The weekly shipments of doses are expected to continue through January. The first doses are targeting the groups at high risk of complications from the H1N1 flu:

• Pregnant women
• People caring for infants less than 6 months of age
• Children and young adults from 6 months to 24 years of age
• Persons aged 25 to 64 who have underlying medical conditions
• Health care workers and emergency medical responders

For more information about the availability of H1N1 influenza vaccine in your area, call your local county health department or visit www.health.ok.gov, or call the Oklahoma State Department of Health toll-free H1N1 hotline at: 1-866-278-7134.