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No lines here: Appointments for H1N1 shots
By Rachel Schleif
World staff writer
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Vaccine by appointment
Who should call: Children 24 months to young adults up to 24 years; pregnant women; caretakers of infants six months and younger; health care workers; people 25 to 64 years old with high-risk conditions, such as diabetes, asthma and other lung conditions, recent cancer treatment or neuromuscular disease.
Number to call: 667-7474
When to call: Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., starting at 1 p.m. today.
Vaccination location: Changes as space is available.
Vaccination times: Varies by day, and appointments can be scheduled for the next few weeks.
Cost: Free, although providers may ask for insurance information.
Source: Chelan-Douglas Health District
EAST WENATCHEE ? The last thing local health agencies want to see is a long line of angry people waiting for the slow trickle of H1N1 vaccine to arrive. So they came up with a more efficient delivery system: vaccine by appointment.
Starting today, people in the high-priority crowd ? health care and infant care workers, pregnant women, children and folks with health problems ? can call to book a vaccination appointment in the next few weeks.
Volunteers from the Red Cross will man the phones and ask questions to determine which vaccine the person needs, whether it?s the nasal spray or shot.
?We felt it was better than having people standing in long lines or trying to manage children for long periods of time like we?re seeing in other areas,? said Mary Small, director of community health and preparedness at the Chelan-Douglas Health District.
The locations will change depending on space availability. Nurses from the Chelan-Douglas Health District, Wenatchee Valley Medical Center and Central Washington Hospital will give the vaccinations.
The vaccine is arriving a couple days a week, she said. Part of the motivation for a by-appointment approach is to meet the demand as vaccine becomes available, rather than stockpiling it for a mass vaccination event.
?I think this was best choice for reaching the most people quickly,? Small said. ?We?re taking advantage of how the vaccine is arriving.?
The mass H1N1 vaccination clinics are now delayed until December, depending on vaccine supply.
?I?d say we?re about four weeks behind where we hoped to be when we started this,? Small said. She said she?s still planning clinics at schools, pharmacies and rural outreach for people who want the vaccine, but ?we felt that this needed to happen first.?
Most of the area?s H1N1 vaccine will be concentrated on meeting the by-appointment demand. A small amount will be given to area health care providers so they can finish vaccinating their workers, Small said.
Rachel Schleif: 664-7139
schleif@wenatcheeworld.com
By Rachel Schleif
World staff writer
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Vaccine by appointment
Who should call: Children 24 months to young adults up to 24 years; pregnant women; caretakers of infants six months and younger; health care workers; people 25 to 64 years old with high-risk conditions, such as diabetes, asthma and other lung conditions, recent cancer treatment or neuromuscular disease.
Number to call: 667-7474
When to call: Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., starting at 1 p.m. today.
Vaccination location: Changes as space is available.
Vaccination times: Varies by day, and appointments can be scheduled for the next few weeks.
Cost: Free, although providers may ask for insurance information.
Source: Chelan-Douglas Health District
EAST WENATCHEE ? The last thing local health agencies want to see is a long line of angry people waiting for the slow trickle of H1N1 vaccine to arrive. So they came up with a more efficient delivery system: vaccine by appointment.
Starting today, people in the high-priority crowd ? health care and infant care workers, pregnant women, children and folks with health problems ? can call to book a vaccination appointment in the next few weeks.
Volunteers from the Red Cross will man the phones and ask questions to determine which vaccine the person needs, whether it?s the nasal spray or shot.
?We felt it was better than having people standing in long lines or trying to manage children for long periods of time like we?re seeing in other areas,? said Mary Small, director of community health and preparedness at the Chelan-Douglas Health District.
The locations will change depending on space availability. Nurses from the Chelan-Douglas Health District, Wenatchee Valley Medical Center and Central Washington Hospital will give the vaccinations.
The vaccine is arriving a couple days a week, she said. Part of the motivation for a by-appointment approach is to meet the demand as vaccine becomes available, rather than stockpiling it for a mass vaccination event.
?I think this was best choice for reaching the most people quickly,? Small said. ?We?re taking advantage of how the vaccine is arriving.?
The mass H1N1 vaccination clinics are now delayed until December, depending on vaccine supply.
?I?d say we?re about four weeks behind where we hoped to be when we started this,? Small said. She said she?s still planning clinics at schools, pharmacies and rural outreach for people who want the vaccine, but ?we felt that this needed to happen first.?
Most of the area?s H1N1 vaccine will be concentrated on meeting the by-appointment demand. A small amount will be given to area health care providers so they can finish vaccinating their workers, Small said.
Rachel Schleif: 664-7139
schleif@wenatcheeworld.com