More than 16,000 doses immediately available to high-risk groups

By Jennifer Nessmith

Staff writer

The Brevard County Health Department began distributing its first shipment of vaccinations against the H1N1 swine flu last week.

The department received an initial 16,400 doses of the vaccine, which have been distributed to the agency's 140 partners, including doctor's offices, hospitals and other businesses, said Dr. Heidar Heshmati, director of the Brevard County Health Department.

The first doses will go to those who are most susceptible to the illness, including pregnant women, people who live with or provide care for infants younger than 6 months, health care and emergency medical personnel, people age 6 months to 24 years and people ages 25-64 who have certain medical conditions that put them at higher risk for flu-related complications.

"We are starting with the high-risk groups," Dr. Heshmati said. "Our plan and goal is to immediately release (the first shipment) of vaccines. Then, our goal within the next three months is to get (and distribute) 300,000 doses of the vaccine."

The vaccine is free, but many doctor's offices may charge patients a nominal administration fee, Dr. Heshmati said.

Bob Lay, director of Brevard County Emergency Management, said the county is well prepared to deal with medical situations.

"About four years ago, we started looking at the possibility of a pandemic," Mr. Lay said. "At the time, it was motivated by the avian flu, but we have the same intended outcome (for the swine flu)."

The H1N1 flu, commonly referred to as "swine" flu, is a "novel," or new, influenza virus that was first detected in the United States last April. It is mild in most cases, but people with certain health conditions are at greater risk.

H1N1 is like the influenza viruses that cause seasonal flu, but because of its genetic structure, the current seasonal flu shot will not give a person immunity to this strain. Residents are urged to get the H1N1 shot as well as the seasonal flu shot, Dr. Heshmati said.

"We don't have any seasonal flu activity right now, but everyone should be prepared because we don't know what could happen in the next few months," he said. "The only way we can stop this outbreak, besides good hygiene, is to vaccinate the majority of the people. When we reach some point of immunity in the community, the outbreak will stop. If we let it circulate from person to person, it could mutate."

Dr. Heshmati added that the swine flu vaccine is perfectly safe, and that parents should have their children vaccinated immediately.

"If people have gotten the flu shot in the past, they should get (the H1N1) vaccine," he said. "The safety profile is exactly the same (as the profile for the seasonal flu vaccine). The benefit of the vaccination outweighs the risks."

The vaccine is available in two forms - a shot and a nasal spray. Potential side effects from the shot include soreness, redness or swelling where the shot was given, a low-grade fever and aches. Side effects from the nasal spray include a runny nose, headache, and a sore throat and, in children, wheezing, fever and muscle aches.

There have been 96 laboratory-confirmed cases of swine flu in Brevard County and three swine flu-related deaths.

Brevard County Health Department will host several H1N1 vaccine clinics, and will even open its doors to the public on Saturdays in locations throughout Titusville, Melbourne, Satellite Beach, Palm Bay and Brevard Community College campuses as more doses become available. In addition, the department will mail an informational handout to every household in Brevard in an effort to distribute accurate information regarding the vaccine.

For more information, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site at www.flu.gov; the Florida Department of Health's Web site at www.myflusafety.com or call (877) 352-3581; or the Brevard County Health Department's Web site at www.brevardchd.com.