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Nov 7, 2009 11:05 pm US/Central
Dallas County Runs Out Of H1N1 Vaccine Supply
DALLAS (CBS 11 / TXA 21) ―
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In this photo illustration the H1N1 swine flu vaccination Pandemic is pictured at Charite clinical center on Oct.26, 2009 in Berlin, Germany.
Andreas Rentz/Getty Images
The Dallas County Health Department is once again out of H1N1 vaccine.
Now, the county health director wants answers about why Texas is not getting its proportional share of vaccine.
"This is about, number one, not enough vaccine being manufactured and delivered to the state of Texas" says DCHHS Director Zachary Thompson
Dallas County is out of the H1N1 vaccine, as well as most of the seasonal flu vaccines. Thompson says the entire state may soon get 3 million doses, but points out there are 2.5 million people in Dallas County alone.
"There are other states that have done very well in receiving vaccine; we're not clear why Texas is 39th in terms of vaccine received of all the states."
So far all county doses are mandated for the indigent or uninsured; Thompson says the average, insured, tax-paying citizen is right to ask, "where's my flu shot?"
"We have calls every day; multiple calls at each of our centers."
Primacare is a private health provider with 11 clinics around North Texas, it got its very first shipment of vaccine late Thursday, fewer than 500 doses; half for children, half for adults.
Dr. Don Dillhunty is Primacare's President and CEO. "We're glad we received what we have but we desperately need more; the demand is there but not the supply at this time."
Primacare can test for flu on-site. Doctor Dillhunty says he's actually seeing fewer H1N1 cases than a month ago, but more people are searching for the vaccine.
Dillhunty knows his doses won't go very far; most are already mandated for health care workers and high-risk patients. Thompson finds the shortage unsettling and unacceptable.
"Why that happened is really beyond me and that's not the way vaccine should be delivered in this manner."
On Saturday the state confirmed it has sent tens of thousands of doses to some private physicians in Dallas County, but won't identify them.
Thompson says the process should be transparent so people can know where to get vaccines, and if he should somehow get over-supplied, he'll try to work out a delivery system with major pharmacies.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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