On October 25, 2009 President Obama declared swine flu a national emergency. So far there has been over 1,000 laboratory confirmed deaths in the United States from the flu known as H1N1. 46 states are experiencing widespread flu activity.
Federal health officials say that the swine flu is more widespread now than it has ever been. The only states without widespread flu are Connecticut, Hawaii, New Jersey and South Carolina, the agency said. But today October 27, 2009 Dr. Sarah Park, head of the Department of Health’s Disease Outbreak and Control Division announced an expected spike in H1N1 cases in Hawaii in the coming weeks. The Health Department said Hawaii only has 104,000 doses of the vaccine allocated to the state so far.
The government had predicted 120 million vaccines will be made available mid October, but as of now only 11 million doses have been administered across the country. The government now hopes to have 50 million doses out by mid November and 150 million in December.
The good news is we are not currently one of the states with an influx of H1N1 cases, but the bad news is our state does not have many doses of the vaccine available to the public. First priority for the vaccines are children, pregnant women, chronically ill individuals, and healthcare providers. History of flu pandemics suggest that viral strains tend to spread more in falls and winter seasons.
Here in Hawaii on October 16, 2009 Walgreens announced they will have H1N1 vaccines available on a first come first serve basis. Vaccines will be $18 and some health insurances might cover some costs. Ala Moana, Kaneohe, Kalihi, Lahaina and Wailuku (on Maui) branches will be offering the vaccines. Walgreens recommends calling ahead of time for more information and to see if a pharmacist will be available to administer the dose. Others interested in the vaccine should see their primary care physician for more information.
Tags: H1N1, Hawaii, Oahu, Swine Flu, Vaccine, Walgreens
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