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Oct 27, 2009 10:01 pm US/Central
Those Waiting Question H1N1 Vaccine Distributions
NORTH TEXAS (CBS 11 / TXA 21) ―
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In this photo illustration the H1N1 swine flu vaccination Pandemic, the intensifier and a syringe are seen at a clinical center on Oct. 26, 2009.
Andreas Rentz/Getty Images
Tuesday officials from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said people will soon have an easier time getting the H1N1 vaccine. But for those who have been waiting -- those are just words.
People are getting frustrated and they want to know who is making the decision about shipments and distribution.
The vaccine is arriving here in North Texas, but at a very slow pace. So far 1.7 million doses have been allocated for the entire state and that's only half of what was expected to have arrived by now.
Laran O'Neill isn't part of a group that's at high risk of coming down with the swine flu, but she still received the H1N1 vaccine Tuesday. O'Neill's baby is under six-months-old and in an age group too young for the vaccine. So mother Laran was vaccinated to protect baby Rylee. "As new parents we're doing everything we can to keep our baby safe, absolutely," Laran said. But O'Neill only got the vaccine because her pediatrician ordered it.
Doctors all over Texas are having a tough time protecting their patients, because there is a shortage of the vaccine. Dr. Patricia Wheelahan says she's disappointed and concerned. "I've already seen a lot of the H1N1 flu, what we're presuming is, and if we would have gotten the vaccine sooner then we would have prevented a lot of kids from getting sick."
Click here to read more on H1N1 vaccine allocation and distribution from the Centers for Disease Control.
Doctors and health clinics registered for the H1N1 vaccine last month. Then, as the first allotments became available, they had to reconfirm the amount they requested.
The next step involves a team of medical experts who review the requests and then it takes another five days to two weeks before a shipment arrives in doctor's offices.
Dr. Wheelahan's practice requested 1,000 doses but so far they've only received enough to vaccinate 90 people. "I'm very happy to get them, but they're going to go really fast," she said.
The Texas Department of State Health Services says when new shipments become available; they're allocating the vaccine based on geography and targeting providers who serve those who are at risk. This is done because state officials say they don't want disproportionate amounts of the vaccine going to any one area of the state.
Right now, the state is targeting doctor's offices that see pregnant women, young children and medical first responders.
The Dallas County Health Department received a new shipment of 5,000 doses Tuesday and Wednesday officials will hold a news conference to announce how they will be given out.
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