Pitt to begin H1N1 vaccine distribution

Pitt will begin distributing H1N1 vaccines to students this week.

Pitt spokesman John Fedele said the University has received an initial supply of 1,200 doses of the H1N1 nasal spray vaccine and that “small allotments” will continue to arrive in the coming weeks.

Students can register for the vaccine at my.pitt.edu or www.pitt.edu/swine-flu beginning at 10 a.m. today. Students must sign up online to receive the vaccine. Fedele said they will receive a number in the order of their registration.

The vaccines will be administered from noon to 5 p.m. Thursday and Friday in the Petersen Events Center for students with registration numbers between 1 and 1,200. Vaccines will be free for students.

Registered students must bring their Pitt IDs and a printed copy of their online registration, Fedele said.

Fedele said the nasal spray is only intended for healthy, non-pregnant persons between the ages of 2 and 49.

People who are pregnant or have a chronic medical condition — such as heart disease, asthma or immune deficiencies — are instead encouraged to wait for the injectable form of the vaccine.

Fedele encouraged all students to register for the vaccine, regardless of whether they intend to receive the nasal or the injectable forms of the vaccine.

He said students can call the Student Health Service’s Flu Hotline at 412-624-2222 for more information.

The county also received H1N1 vaccines, but few people will have access to the initial shipment.

Dave Zazac, a spokesman for the Allegheny County Health Department, said the county received 1,000 doses of an H1N1 virus nasal spray and expects to receive more — including an injectible vaccine — within the month.

Zazac said at present, the health department plans to give “pediatric candidates,” people ages 5 to 9 who are in good health, first priority.

He added that members of this age group are at a higher risk of contracting the virus because they attend schools, where illnesses quickly circulate.

Those in other high-risk groups — including health care providers, pregnant women and children with chronic medical conditions — will be among the next target groups, according to the health department’s H1N1 website.

“We’re being very judicious as to how we’re going to distribute [the vaccines] to the general public,” Zazac said.

The health department’s initial shipment of H1N1 virus immunizations came in the form of a nasal spray, which contains a live, weakened version of the virus.

This form of immunization is only approved for healthy people ages 2 to 29, according to the health department’s website.

A full course of immunization requires two passes with the nasal spray, spaced one month apart.

Because full prevention for children requires two dosages, the health department currently has enough spray to immunize 500 children.

Zazac said despite the initial shortage of vaccine, the department hopes to receive more doses within the month.

The number of vaccines, however, is unknown.

“How much and when? These are two unknowns at the present time,” Zazac said. “It’s really hard to gauge how the vaccine delivery system is going to run.”

He said that, in the past, the department has received as many as 3,000 injectible doses of the regular flu vaccine in one season.

Zazac said the next shipment of immunizations will likely contain injectible H1N1 virus vaccines.

Unlike the nasal spray, the injectible vaccine contains an inactivated form of the H1N1 virus and is approved for all people who are at least 6 months old.

He said cost should not be a concern for those currently eligible for the H1N1 virus nasal spray.

“As it stands right now, there is no administrative fee associated with the H1N1 vaccine through the Allegheny County Health Department,” he said.

Doctors’ offices, on the other hand, might charge administrative costs for the vaccine, and the cost could vary per office.

“It’s really each individual provider’s call,” Zazac said.

Zazac said the county health department is just one of Pennsylvania’s approved H1N1 virus vaccine providers.

Because the department has a limited supply of immunizations at this time, he encourages people to first try their immediate care providers, including doctors and even schools, to see if they’re on the state’s list of approved providers. People might also contact the health department at 412-687-2243 to see if their doctor has the nasal spray, he said. The health department maintains a list of doctors distributing the vaccine.

Zazac said people should be patient. He continued, “Don’t be stressed if your provider doesn’t have it immediately.”

In the meantime, Zazac encourages people who cannot immediately receive an immunization to practice healthy habits to prevent spread of the virus.

“There are things that people can do to help protect against the flu,” he said. These practices include frequent hand washing, cleaning household surfaces and covering sneezes.

Additionally, he said people should avoid touching their eyes and mouths, use hand sanitizer and avoid going to work or school if they’re sick.

More health tips are available on the health department’s website, www.achd.net”.

Zazac said that eventually, the H1N1 virus vaccine will be available to all who want one, even those who are not in high-risk groups.

“What we’re trying to do, as we do with the seasonal flu, is to prioritize first,” he said. “There will be enough vaccine once the shipments are finalized … [but some people] might have to wait a little bit.”

Additional information about the vaccine and its side effects is available at the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention website.