State Issues Order Mandating That Providers Limit Flu Shots to CDC-Designated High-Risk Patients

CAL/AAEM News Service calaaem_news at yahoo.com
Fri Oct 22 02:13:32 PDT 2004


State Issues Order Mandating That Providers Limit Flu Shots to CDC-Designated
High-Risk Patients

October 12, 2004
 

Public Health Officer Richard Jackson on Friday issued an order mandating that
all health care providers in the state limit influenza vaccinations to those at
highest risk of serious illness or death from flu, a move intended to give
providers the authority to withhold vaccination from those who do not meet CDC
criteria for high-risk patients, the Sacramento Bee reports.

According to the order, all health care providers must limit flu vaccinations
to children ages six months to 23 months; adults ages 65 and older; people ages
two to 64 with chronic medical conditions; pregnant women; nursing home
residents; children taking aspirin; health care workers; out-of-home
caregivers; and those with household contact with children younger than age six
months.

The order "stops short of declaring an emergency," which would allow state
health officials to repossess and redistribute flu vaccine supplies, the Bee
reports.

Comments

Jackson said officials will not be "policing vaccine lines" or asking providers
to surrender unused supplies. Instead, the government will rely on the "good
will" of providers and patients. Jackson said the state would purchase unused
vaccine supplies.

"This is not an emergency," Jackson said, adding, "That said, it is a situation
that requires good judgment and taking care of those most at need first"
(Griffith, Sacramento Bee, 10/9). He said, "It's important that Californians
understand the seriousness of the vaccine shortage. Every flu shot that's given
to a healthy individual means that someone else who really needs it runs the
risk of serious illness and death" (Landhuis, San Jose Mercury News, 10/9).

County Action

County health departments can issue their own immunization orders and citations
for violators to "beef up enforcement," the Bee reports (Sacramento Bee, 10/9).
Both Santa Clara and San Mateo counties declared a state of "local emergency"
following the state's order on Friday.

The declarations are intended to "allow the public to realize how grave the
[flu vaccine shortage] is," Dr. Marty Fenstersheib, Santa Clara County health
officer, said (San Jose Mercury News, 10/9). Other counties in the Bay Area are
expected to issue similar orders soon.

The orders come as some providers has reported flu long lines for vaccinations
across the state. Maxim Health Systems, which operates flu vaccine programs in
grocery stores and drugstores, said wait times at some locations have reached
seven hours (Gathright, San Francisco Chronicle, 10/11). 


Source: California Healthline (www.californiahealthline.org) 


=====
Cyrus Shahpar & Brian Potts 
Managing Editors, CAL/AAEM News Service 
UC-Irvine


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