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Less than 7 percent of Indiana residents have been vaccinated against the H1N1 flu strain since early October.
An Indiana Department of Health weekly flu report released Wednesday said almost 439,000 doses of the H1N1 vaccine have been given this fall to 6.8 percent of the state’s population. And just 12 percent of Hoosiers considered at high risk of the flu or flu complications have been vaccinated.
Those doses are tracked through a statewide immunization registry. State health officials last week said there can be delays in registering doses and the totals could be higher.
Vaccine shipments have come slowly to Indiana and other states because of manufacturing delays, which continue to frustrate health officials. State health officials said last week it could be several months before the H1N1 vaccine is made available to the general public.
In the meantime, local health departments have focused on vaccinating pregnant women, children and young adults, adults with chronic health conditions and health care and emergency medical workers.
In Allen County, 22,009 people, or 6.5 percent of the county population, have received the vaccine, according to the state.
As of Tuesday, about 16,500 doses have been given at the public clinic at Carew Medical Park since Oct. 9, the Fort Wayne-Allen County Department of Health said.
The local health department has provided some vaccine to local doctors’ offices and hospitals to vaccinate staff and patients, Dr. Deborah McMahan said earlier this week.
Planners never intended for local doctors to handle the bulk of the vaccinations, instead expecting massive clinics and even drive-through clinics to handle the load. The county might only receive 300 doses at a time to provide to residents, she said.
“We’re getting it out as quick as we can,” McMahan said of the vaccine.
She urged residents to get vaccinated even though she believes the second wave of the H1N1 flu, also called swine flu, is waning.
Last week, the number of people visiting emergency rooms complaining of H1N1 symptoms decreased at hospitals across the state to 6 percent of patients. However, 10 percent of doctors’ office patients complained of the flu – what state health officials called a “significantly high level.”
Of those visiting their doctors, 78 percent were people ages 25 and younger, according to the state’s report.
Those reporting rates are down from the previous week.
Six people died from H1N1 or H1N1 complications last week. At least three of the patients were between 25 and 49 years of age, and one person was older than 65.
The ages for two patients were not known, according to the state’s report.
Since June, 28 people have died from the H1N1 strain or related complications in Indiana.
