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Flu vaccine
unavailable; clinics
canceled

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Star-Bulletin staff

Flu vaccination clinics scheduled today and Saturday at Longs Drugs in Kapolei and Kailua and tomorrow at Safeway Mililani have been canceled.

"We don't have the vaccine," said Judith Walden, director of Castle Home Care, which holds the clinics.

"We may receive enough for 500 (shots) on Monday," she said. "That will last us a couple of hours, so I'm uncomfortable doing anything with 500 inoculations."

Castle Home Care supplies about 10,000 shots annually at Longs, Safeway and Times Super Market clinics.

The Times clinic is scheduled Dec. 2.

Walden said the organization had ordered 140,000 flu vaccination shots for statewide clinics and Castle Medical Center employees.

A new schedule will be issued when vaccine is available, she said.

Callers may get up-to-date information from Castle's Flu Hotline at 234-7142.

The state Health Department's Immunization Program also has a resource list and will direct people elsewhere for vaccinations if they can't wait, said Judy Strait-Jones, program coordinator.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has contracted for an additional nine million doses of influenza vaccine, she said.

Even if people can't get shots until December or January, she said, "That's OK. They'll be protected."

For information on other resources, call the Immunization Program at 586-8332.