HARRISBURG, Pa., Dec. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Pennsylvania Health Secretary Dr. Calvin B. Johnson today announced the Department of Health will be able to meet 80 percent of Pennsylvania health-care providers’ demand for flu vaccine.
In November, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced it would make additional vaccine available to the states for distribution and Pennsylvania would receive 343,000 doses. Since then, the department - in cooperation with state health-care associations - surveyed hospitals, nursing homes, county health departments and other providers to determine how much vaccine each needed to purchase. It has determined that, based on the state’s allocation, each provider will be able to receive 80 percent of its request.
“It is important for us to get the vaccine out in a timely manner to those people who need it most, and this plan achieves that goal by identifying high concentrations of high-risk individuals,” said Dr. Johnson. “While we would like to be able to meet the complete demand for flu vaccine, this will allow most of those in the high-risk categories -- including patients, residents and staff -- to be vaccinated.”
Distributors from Aventis Pasteur are shipping doses of vaccine directly to health-care providers in two shipments - one in December and one in January. As vaccine orders are placed for providers, their name and number of doses will be updated on the Department of Health’s Web site at http://www.health.state.pa.us/ApportionedVaccine. People who are high-risk but not currently patients, residents or staff in the health-care facility category can call 1-877-PA-HEALTH to find out where the vaccine is available to get a flu shot.
The planned distribution is: -- Long-term care facilities - 89,040 doses -- Hospitals - 186,540 doses -- Home health agencies - 26,640 doses -- Area Agencies on Aging - 5,185 doses -- Renal dialysis centers - 519 doses -- Federally qualified health centers - 9,033 doses -- County municipal health departments - 26,000 doses -- TOTAL 342,957
This year, in total, the Commonwealth expects to receive more than two million doses of flu vaccine. At least 3 million Pennsylvanians are considered at high risk.
As the flu and cold season approaches, it is important to remember that following these basic steps can help prevent the spread of germs to others:
-- Wash hands thoroughly before and after preparing food, before eating and after using the restroom. -- Cover nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing, and wash hands to prevent spreading germs to objects like doorknobs and other household items. -- Get plenty of rest, eat properly and dress appropriately for the weather. -- Minimize time in crowded areas during the flu season, when the risk of exposure to germs increases. -- When practical, avoid contact with others if you have the flu. -- Get immunized with the pneumococcal vaccine if you are a high-risk person; pneumonia is one of the serious illnesses resulting from getting the flu.
If you have questions about influenza, call the Department of Health’s toll-free number at 1-877-PA-HEALTH or visit http://www.health.state.pa.us/.
CONTACT: Jessica Seiders, Pennsylvania Department of Health, +1-717-787-1783.
Pennsylvania Department of Health
CONTACT: Jessica Seiders, Pennsylvania Department of Health,+1-717-787-1783