County's plan meant to reach most at risk
Today, more than 10,000 Lake County residents who were most at risk of getting sick from H1N1 flu are now protected because they received a vaccine from the Lake County Health Department. The Health Department distributed its supply - a small fraction of our initial order - to those vulnerable populations at walk-in clinics over a two-day period.
Because of the Daily Herald Editorial Board's position on our distribution method, which was printed on Nov. 1, we feel it's important for the public to understand the reasoning behind our decision to provide walk-in clinics. Our goal for this flu season is to vaccinate 300,000 people in high-risk target groups against H1N1 flu as quickly as possible. We actively reached out to multiple partners to assist with the distribution process. More than 430 local health care providers, schools, pharmacies and large businesses committed to deliver the vaccine. Because of assurances from the federal government, we anticipated receiving 50,000 doses for the health department and our partners by mid-October. This plan was affected by the severe delay in vaccine shipment and uncertainties with future deliveries. Because we only received 12,600 doses on Oct. 26, we chose to only activate the walk-in clinic component of our plan. We also distributed vaccine to health care workers with direct patient contact and first responders. We recognize that many people were inconvenienced by the resulting lines at the clinics. However, thousands of people are now protected from the flu. The 10,000 vaccinations we provided are more than we accomplish in an entire flu season. We must be mindful that millions of additional doses will finally be distributed nationwide when manufacturing and distribution delays are resolved. We encourage people to continue good health practices and to get vaccinated in the venue that best meets their needs and comfort levels. In the near future, we will be providing a combination of walk-in and appointment only clinics in conjunction with our partners. We appreciate the public's patience during this challenging time.
Michael Waxman
President
Lake County Board of Health