FLU: Even people who are high risk can't find shots

I was initially hopeful during my doctor’s appointment a few weeks ago when I was informed that they were expecting to receive a shipment the last week of October of the swine flu vaccine. Unfortunately, the shipment they were sent from the Pierce County Health Department only supplied their office with one day’s worth of vaccinations. They do not know when they will receive another.

ELIZABETH MULLEN; Puyallup

Published: 11/06/09 12:05 am

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I was initially hopeful during my doctor’s appointment a few weeks ago when I was informed that they were expecting to receive a shipment the last week of October of the swine flu vaccine. Unfortunately, the shipment they were sent from the Pierce County Health Department only supplied their office with one day’s worth of vaccinations. They do not know when they will receive another.

The government first announced that those who were considered high risk such as pregnant women and those with underlying health conditions as well as children were to receive the vaccination first before the general public. Still they are continuing to encourage individuals in those categories to get vaccinated. But how are we to do that if there are no vaccines available?

I am three months pregnant with asthma, and I am very concerned that I will not be able to get vaccinated. Maybe I should have pretended to be a homeless individual and stood in line with the homeless that were being vaccinated at the Tacoma Dome not too long ago, since they along with prison inmates clearly fall into the categories of high risk as described by the government. I would have then felt more comfortable that I had been vaccinated, and that my baby and I had better odds of not contracting swine flu.

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