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Local health officials expect more H1N1 vaccines this week

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By Tiffany Y. Latta, Staff Writer 9:06 PM Monday, November 2, 2009

The state recently sent nearly 400,000 additional doses of the H1N1 vaccine to health departments and physicians to inoculate people at risk of severe complications from swine flu virus.

The Ohio Department of Health shipped 389,500 doses of the vaccine to public health facilities, and physicians statewide are expected to begin receiving the H1N1 shot and nasal spray Wednesday, Nov. 3.

The new shipment will allow the Middletown Health Department and the Hamilton City Health Department to continue to vaccinate area school children, officials said.

Last week, Hamilton received 500 doses of the H1N1 vaccine, said Dr. William Karwisch, director of city health department. Karwisch said officials inoculated 441 children on Friday, Oct. 30, and plan to vaccinate an additional 140 youth on Friday, Nov. 6.

It’s unknown how much of the vaccine the agency will get this week, he said.

“As soon as the vaccine comes in we will set up more school-based clinics,” Karwisch said. “Our objective now is the schools. We’ve already done the EMTs for the fire department and provided some to the hospitals.”

The Middletown Health Department has provided the vaccine to area obstetricians. On Saturday, Oct. 31, at Miami University Middletown, it also vaccinated about 1,300 people deemed high risk.

Officials said remaining vaccines and additional doses received this week will be given to school children.

“We’re going to keep doing targeted clinics until we’re comfortable and then we’ll do the public clinics,” said Jackie Phillips, nursing director for Middletown.

Phillips and Karwisch said residents who have not been vaccinated will get inoculated as supplies increase.

Both asked that residents remain patient and urged those concerned about the virus to call their primary physician.

H1N1 high-risk populations

Pregnant women

People who live with or care for infants younger than 6 months

Health care and emergency medical personnel

People ages 6 months through 24 years

People ages 25 to 64 with chronic medical conditions.

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