H1N1 vaccines expected to arrive in mid-October

By Felipe da Silva Special to the Tuscaloosa News

Published: Thursday, August !, ""# at $:$" a%m% &ast 'odi(ied: )ednesday, August *, ""# at 11: $ p%m%

More than 99 percent of all flu samples tested during the past four weeks were positive for the H1N1 influenza, according to the Alabama Department of ublic Health! As a result, the department will no longer test for the H1N1 strain, also known as swine flu! "accines are still being developed and the state health department estimates that it will be mid#$ctober before the vaccines are available for distribution in the %uscaloosa area! ublic health agencies will deliver &' million doses of the vaccine nationwide! Allocation of the vaccine will depend on how and where the flu starts, health officials said! Also, the rate of production will depend on efficienc( and manufacturing capacit(! Alabama is e)pected to receive *++,+++ doses initiall( and an additional ,++,+++ doses ever( two weeks! -( December, . million doses of the vaccine are e)pected to be delivered to the state! %he /enters for Disease /ontrol and revention has created a high priorit( group for the vaccine! %hat group includes children, pregnant women, health#care workers, people who regularl( work with infants and people with other medical conditions!

%he /D/ estimates this group will include about 1'9 million people nationwide! 0n Alabama, the plan is to focus the vaccine on school#based clinics for kindergarten through 1.th#grade students! "accines will be offered at no charge! 0nsurers will pa( the costs to administer the vaccines! %he 1!2! Department of Health and Human 2ervices has invested more than 31 billion to produce a bulk suppl( of vaccine and to produce pilot lots for use in clinical studies! Also, /ongress has approved, and the president has signed into law, a bill to release more than 34!' billion to help with the vaccine! -etween Ma( and August .., Alabama e)perienced about 1,,++ swine flu cases and two deaths! Nationall(, '.. people have died and about 5,+++ people have been hospitalized as a result of the swine flu!