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Most Hoosiers might have to wait three more months before they can receive the vaccine for H1N1, also known as swine flu.
Indiana health officials said Thursday that because of steady demand and a lack of vaccine, healthy adults might not be able to receive the vaccine until December at the earliest or February at the latest.
The general public will be able to receive the H1N1 vaccine this flu season, said Dr. Joan Duwve, medical director for public health and preparedness for the Indiana State Department of Health, during a weekly conference call.
The flu season typically runs from early October to April.
County health officials will decide when it’s time to begin vaccinating the general public. If no one shows up at clinics, Duwve said, that could be a sign that priority groups are no longer seeking the H1N1 vaccine and the public could be invited.
County health departments are now focusing on several groups considered at high risk of developing complications from H1N1.
Those priority groups are ages 6 months to 24 years; caregivers of infants younger than 6 months; pregnant women; health care and emergency medical workers; and adults with chronic health conditions.
Healthy adults and the elderly seem to be less susceptible to this strain of flu virus. Duwve urged them to be patient and to give priority groups a chance to be vaccinated.
Making the switch from priority groups to the general population will also depend on the how much vaccine is available and when it arrives, Duwve said.
The H1N1 vaccine is arriving slowly to Indiana, she said.
So far, almost 316,000 doses of vaccine have been distributed statewide, but the number is likely higher because of delays in registering the doses with the state. The state has ordered 851,000 doses, and shipments continue to arrive sporadically.
For example, on Monday, the state received just 3,800 doses, followed by a shipment of 60,800 Tuesday and 3,200 more doses Thursday, she said.
Each shipment, big or small, is divided among all 92 counties based on population, Duwve said.
About 14,000 Allen County residents have been vaccinated since early October. County health officials estimate that 93,500 children, pregnant women and health care workers in Allen County are eligible for the vaccine.
In the meantime, the H1N1 flu virus continues to spread throughout the state, and flu activity remains high. But officials aren’t seeing dramatic spikes as in previous weeks, said Pam Pontones, the state’s epidemiologist.
In the week ending Nov. 9, the number of patients complaining of flu-like illnesses to emergency rooms was 7.9 percent compared with a historical high two weeks earlier of 12.7 percent. And the rate for participating doctors offices was 11.3 percent, down from the prior week’s historical high of 13 percent, Pontones said.
The number of schools reporting absenteeism rates of 20 percent or higher continued to decrease. Just three schools hit that threshold, she said, compared with nine the prior week and 39 two weeks ago.
During the past reporting week, three H1N1-related deaths were reported. Since June, 22 people have died in the state because of the H1N1 virus, she said.
Pontones called the indicators encouraging but said it’s too soon to know whether the H1N1 flu virus has peaked in Indiana.
"We don’t want folks to think this is over," Pontones said.
She urged residents to use common-sense steps to avoid spreading the flu and to get vaccinated if they can.
