Isles have sufficient
flu shots, state saysBut high demand is
causing a shortage at
some isle clinics
Hawaii has no shortage of influenza vaccine, but some clinics might temporarily run out because of a high demand for flu shots, says state epidemiologist Paul Effler.
He said the demand is "disproportional" to the state's flu activity, which is sporadic so far.
Local concern about the contagious respiratory illness has been triggered by spreading outbreaks and vaccine shortages on the mainland, he said.
Flu shots offered
Free flu shots will be provided to Hawaii Medical Service Association members and Medicare Part B recipients 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday in the Kakaako Room on the second floor of Ward Warehouse.ISI Health Enhancement Services, an HMSA subsidiary, is holding the clinic. Participants must be 18 or older. Nonmembers may get a shot for $20 while supplies last.
Vaccination is the best prevention for flu, a respiratory illness caused by a virus which cannot be helped with antibiotics, HMSA said.
Residents 50 or older and people with medical conditions such as diabetes, heart or lung problems, kidney disease, asthma, cancer or HIV/AIDS are at particularly high risk and should be vaccinated.
People should consult their doctor if they are allergic to eggs, have had a severe reaction to a flu shot in the past, are pregnant or have Guillain-Barre syndrome, a rare form of nerve damage.
Some clinics and doctors on Maui and the Big Island have reported running out of the vaccine, but state Department of Health officials say there is an adequate supply for the state.
All 50 states have reported flu activity, and it is widespread in about half of them, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Twenty children on the mainland have died from the virus.
"Any time you have tragic deaths of children, they're very high-profile and they're going to stay in people's memory and concern people, appropriately so," Effler said.
People also are more aware of infectious diseases because of threats such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) earlier this year, he noted.
Health officials do not want people to panic, but they are encouraging flu vaccinations, especially for high-risk groups, Effler said.
With the high demand for vaccine, CDC has recommended that states give priority to people at high risk for influenza, he said. The group includes people 65 and older, those of all ages with chronic medical conditions, children between 6 months and 23 months old, and pregnant women. The CDC also recommends this year that people over age 50 get vaccinated.
Pediatric vaccinations are available to more than 400 Hawaii physicians and clinics through federally sponsored children's programs, Effler said.
Residents should see their doctor, call 211 or look at the Health Department's Web site, www.hawaii.gov/doh, for a list of clinics statewide with available vaccine, he said.
Effler said he is not aware of anyone at high risk being turned away or any policy to turn people away from vaccinations.
He advises people to be persistent in locating vaccine, starting with their own doctor or clinic. If their supply is out, he said, "move on to other choices."
People who are not vaccinated and have no chronic diseases might become seriously ill if they get influenza but will recover, he said.
"We have medicines in our arsenal that didn't exist at other times," Effler said.
Physicians monitoring influenzalike illnesses in the department's surveillance program have reported nearly 5 percent of their patients have symptoms, Effler said.
Cases have increased the past two weeks, but they are not at the level of last year's peak flu activity, which reached 8 percent or 9 percent of patients after the holidays, he said.
He said 25 cases of influenza have been confirmed through cultures and have been sent to CDC for molecular typing. (However, many patients are diagnosed with flu without cultures done.)
All confirmed cases thus far are the A strain virus, which is closely matched to the predominant Fujian virus on the mainland, Effler said. Some mainland reports have indicated this year's vaccine is less effective for the Fujian strain, but there is no statistical evidence to support that, he said.
No deaths directly attributed to influenza have been reported in Hawaii, Effler said.
Hawaii's flu season -- longer than on the mainland -- starts in October and continues through May, but the Health Department monitors influenzalike illnesses all year.
Symptoms include high fever, headache, fatigue, dry cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose and aching muscles. Nausea, vomiting and diarrhea might occur, but they are more common among children than adults.
People should protect themselves by avoiding contact with anyone who is ill, and those who become ill should stay home from work and social activities so they do not spread it to others, Effler said.
