Swine Flu Stories
(2009-10-20)
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David Gallaher just got a shot of the H1N1 vaccine from King County public health nurse Kristen Wilson-Weiberg.
KPLU photo.
Some people with the highest risk of serious illness from swine flu are also low-income. They may not have health insurance or easy access to the vaccine. So King County is now offering them vaccine through four public health clinics, in White Center, Kent, Federal Way, and near Northgate.
David Gallaher was first in line. He has emphysema, which puts him in the "high risk" category for flu. Any illness of the lungs or immune system, along with diseases such as diabetes and heart disease, puts you at risk of serious illness.
Preparedness Director Michael Loehr, of Public Health Seattle & King County says most people in King County should go to their primary medical provider to get swine flu vaccine. But the uninsured typically don't have a provider, so they can use the public clinics.
Each county in the state has its own system in place to distribute vaccine. Pierce County, for example, is running a one-day clinic in Puyallup (on Saturday, October 24th, at Emerald Ridge High School) for anyone ages 2 to 24.
Health departments say they expected four times as many doses would be here by now. The companies making the vaccine have found the process is taking longer than expected. Shipments arrive every week, but at a trickle. It's looking like it'll be late November before mass-vaccination can start. In the meantime, flu is spreading rapidly in western Washington. If you can't get the vaccine, the best ways to protect yourself are through handwashing and staying away from people who have the flu.
King County is now operating a flu question hotline, at 1-877-903-KING (5464)
Feeling sick and wondering? Try the federal government's Swine Flu Self-Evaluation
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