Pocono News Section

H1N1 Shortage Frustrates Those At Risk

H1N1 Shortage Frustrates Those At Risk - Friday, November 6, 2009 at 5:45PM EST

Reported by: Jeff Chirico
Friday, Nov 6, 2009 @ 05:45pm EST
WILMOT TOWNSHIP, BRADFORD COUNTY --People are clamoring to get the vaccine but vaccine manufacturers can't keep up with demand. That has some people frustrated.

Holiday learn worries that living in rural Sugar Run, Bradford County is making it tougher for her to get the H1N1 vaccine. She's seen the news reports of hundreds of people --getting inoculated in a Wilkes-Barre clinic 50 miles from her home. Learn says “my concern for me and others in rural area is that people don't have availability to go down to Wilkes-Barre."

Learn suffers from Multiple Sclerosis which puts her on the priority list for getting the vaccine. Nonetheless she's had no luck getting any from her doctor "and he said he doesn't know if he'll get the vaccine in."

The state Health Department distributes the vaccine to health care providers, hospitals and schools. Its website reads due to the nationwide delay in production, it is arriving in very limited quantities. And so when it does arrive, a Health Department spokesperson tells Eyewitness News it is very strategically distributed to those in greatest need. Right now, children are being hardest hit. She does admit population does play a role in those decisions.

But folks like Holiday can go to public clinics like this one held by the Wilkes-Barre Health department Wednesday. Health Department Director, Ted Kross says "we're not turning anyone away who lives outside Wilkes-Barre but we have limited amount of vaccines and unfortunately those that don't fit in the priority list are going to have to wait a few more weeks."

To get the vaccine at this point you must fall into the high risk categories:
Children 6 months to 24 years.
Family members of children under 6 months old.
Pregnant women
Those under 65 with underlying medical conditions
Health care and EMS workers.