Vaccine clinic turnout was far less than hoped

David Gulliver - posted 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 11

updated 11 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 12 with confirmation of expanded clinic eligibility; updated Nov. 18. with results of second round of clinics.

(For the number of children vaccinated at each clinic site, please click here.)

(Update Nov. 18: The second round of vaccination clinics, Nov. 13 and 14, drew a slightly smaller response than the previous week. An even 3,000 children received the vaccine, for a two-weekend total of 6,495. That total is a little more than half the number health department officials used in their planning, and about one-quarter of the county's elementary-age population.)

Less than one-third of the available H1N1 swine flu vaccine was given out at Sarasota County's vaccination clinics for elementary and pre-K students last weekend, as turnout was far less than expected.

Based on annual flu vaccination trends, Sarasota County Health Department officials felt they needed 12,000 doses of vaccine, enough for half of the county's 24,000 elementary school students.

But when the clinics ended Saturday afternoon, they had vaccinated just 3,495 children. While officials were pleased to have reached that many children, they had expected many more.

"It turns out that rather than 50 percent, it was quite a bit less," said Chuck Henry, an environmental health specialist who heads the county's flu response effort.

Officials said they did not end up with the surplus of vaccine because they were unable to meet demand. At some sites, lines were long until close, but every child who showed up was vaccinated. "No one was turned away," Henry said.

The low turnout, though, has a silver lining. With more vaccine expected to arrive this week, the county decided Monday to release another 6,500 doses to providers in the community. Private physicians have been turning away patients seeking the vaccine, and hospitals have been receiving only about half of what they requested. By the end of this week, he said, the extra doses will be in the hands of doctors and hospitals.

With more doses on hand than expected, the Health Department now is looking at how to get more of the most vulnerable groups vaccinated more quickly.

It now has expanded upcoming clinics, offering the vaccine to children from six months old through fifth-graders at six sites on Friday, and to children through 12th grade at four sites on Saturday. You can see the updated schedule, with eligible ages, sites, dates and times, at the county's website here.

"We continue to rework our plan, which is to get as much vaccine into as many arms as possible as quickly as possible," Henry said.

They are paticularly concerned about pregnant women, who have shown a higher likelihood of hospitalization and death from the H1N1 flu. Any pregnant women unable to find the vaccine should contact the Health Department, Henry said. Call the department at 861-2900 for more information.