Lisa Holstein, and Jennifer Pauley, are just two of the first group of healthcare practitioners who recently rolled up their sleeves for the H1N1 vaccination.

While area health care providers awaited shipments of the seasonal flu vaccine, shipments of the H1N1 flu vaccine made their way into the Boone County area last week, and health officials are organizing efforts to begin administering the vaccine.

Supply shortages of the H1N1 flu vaccine are not expected to be a problem, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports the U.S. government has purchased 250 million doses of 2009 H1N1 vaccine.

“So anyone who wants to get the vaccine will have the opportunity to do so,” according to Julie Miller, spokesperson at the Boone County Health Department.

“They are coming in increments. We are allotted so many at a time and we can not order more until this is put in the state registry system,” said Lisa Holstein, nurse at the Boone County Health Department.

“We’re working to get Boone County providers and hospitals taken care of, then moving down that priority list,” Miller said.

Calling the efforts to vaccinate the community as a “campaign,” Miller said that right now the focus is on persons who have direct contact with patients, noting nursing home attendants, hospital employees, doctors, and ambulance authority employees.

“We’re getting the vaccination in weekly amounts and have expanded our hours from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.” Miller said, adding that it is important for the community to understand that at this point, the Health Department is working to vaccinate healthcare workers only.

The priority list is one established by the CDC. It was created because the amount of the vaccine available at first will be small. As a result, groups listed in the following five categories will be prioritized first:

n Health care and emergency medical services personnel, n Pregnant women, n People who live with or provide care for infants younger than 6 months (e.g., parents, siblings, and day care providers), n People 6 months through 24 years of age, and, n People 25 years through 64 years of age who have certain medical conditions that put them at higher risk for influenza-related complications. n n n Once the vaccine demand for the target groups has been met at the local level, the CDC recommends programs and providers begin vaccinating everyone from the ages of 25 through 64.

The CDC reports current studies indicate that the risk for infection among persons 65 and older is less than the risk for younger age groups. However, once vaccine demand among younger age groups has been met, it is recommended people 65 or older get vaccinated.

“Eventually we will get it into the schools,” Miller said, speculating that the vaccine might be ready for vaccinating school children as early as November.

“We have been told there will be enough vaccine available for anyone that wishes to receive it,” Miller said.

According to Miller, there have been five deaths related to the H1N1 flu. “And we haven’t even started influenza season,” Miller said, explaining that flu season in West Virginia typically runs its course from November until March.

“It’s important for the community to know that they still need to get their regular seasonal flu shot in addition to the H1N1 shot,” she said. “Also, if you are not feeling well, stay home. Do not go to work; do not go to school; do not go to church.”

“I think people are worried because we call it a novel flu,” Miller said, further noting that it has been 41 years since a pandemic has been announced in America. “The last one was in 1968 and there are a couple generations there who have not been through a pandemic,” she said.

Miller continues to work closely with the state and government in distributing the information to the community about the H1N1 vaccinations. For more information about the flu and H1N1, contact the CDC at 1-800-232-4636 or visit their Web site at www.flu.gov.