Explaining H1N1 Vaccine Availability in Fairfax County

[Anonymous]

I'm a "fan" of the Fairfax County Government on Facebook. They posted this just a little while ago and thought many of you would find it helpful.

Explaining H1N1 Vaccine Availability in Fairfax CountyShare
Today at 6:08pm

A number of you have asked about the availability and logistics of the H1N1 vaccine, so we wanted to provide some more detail and explanation. Instead of replying to different comment threads, we wanted to share this explanation with everyone as a separate update.

We recognize the frustration over the limited quantities of vaccine available. Given the limited supply and high demand, trying to vaccinate everyone in the CDC target groups has been a challenge. We have therefore prioritized within the target groups and are first serving those at highest risk for serious complications and death. Our goal is to ensure that we have enough vaccine available for our identified target group to limit crowds at our clinics and the number of people who are turned away.

Currently, the Health Department has only received enough vaccine for just over 1% of the entire Fairfax County population. The Health Department does not intend to deny H1N1 vaccine to anyone who wishes to be vaccinated.

As more vaccine arrives, we will continue to broaden our target group and dispense vaccine through our clinic sites and at mass vaccination clinics, like the one on Oct. 24 at the Government Center. Private health care providers are also receiving vaccine so you may choose to call a doctor's office to check on vaccine availability.

We understand the confusion over the different methods in jurisdictions across the National Capital Region and Virginia have caused among residents. Unfortunately, it's not a one size fits all solution. What works in one jurisdiction, may not work in another. Each jurisdiction must incorporate unique variables into their planning. The geographical size, larger population, and greater number of schools are just a few of the challenges that Fairfax County faces when developing vaccination plans. Having nurses in schools deliver vaccine to the 175,000+ Fairfax County Public Schools students is not an efficient way to deliver vaccine and therefore is not a realistic option in Fairfax County given the quantities of vaccine currently available and the size of our staff.

We understand that it may be more inconvenient for those who are receiving the vaccine to go to clinics, a central mass vaccination site (like the Government Center on Oct. 24) or private health care providers. We know this may offer little comfort, but we do use scientific formulas which incorporate a wide range of data to develop these vaccination plans and determine which method should be utilized.

Thanks again for your patience and for following updates on Facebook.

[Anonymous]

harumph.