Fight against seasonal flu is opening early

Many students in the region are still waiting for school to open. Labor Day is a few days off, and the beaches keep drawing crowds.

But efforts to head off the fall flu season are already in full swing, weeks ahead of schedule.

Many county health clinics, doctor's offices, and commercial pharmacies in the area began to administer seasonal flu and pneumonia vaccines this week. Burlington County will hold the first of 27 public flu-shot clinics tomorrow.

More people are expected to seek vaccinations this year compared with last because of publicity generated by the H1N1 virus, or swine flu, state and county health officials said.

Vaccines for the seasonal flu and pneumonia began to arrive in mid-August, a few weeks earlier than usual, while the H1N1 vaccines are likely to come in between mid-October and the end of December.

In Pennsylvania, "we're seeing people interested now and we recommend that they get the vaccinations" for seasonal flu, said Michael Huff, deputy secretary of health planning and assessment. "Let's go ahead and get that out of the way . . . then we'll deal with H1N1."

About 226,000 Americans are hospitalized with the flu each year, and 36,000 die, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The H1N1 flu could be much worse. An Obama administration science advisory panel has warned that swine flu may hospitalize 1.8 million people in the United States this year, filling intensive-care units to capacity and causing "severe disruptions" at hospitals.

As many as half of all Americans could be infected, and 30,000 to 90,000 people may die, according to a planning scenario issued Aug. 24 by the President's Council of Advisers on Science and Technology.

In much of Pennsylvania, seasonal-flu vaccines will be given this month instead of the traditional October, said Huff. Ninety percent of the doses are administered by private providers.

The shots are offered free to the indigent at some county clinics. CVS Caremark and Walgreens both have programs to offer seasonal-flu shots at no cost to jobless and uninsured people through vouchers and at special locations.

CVS Corp. said it would provide 100,000 free seasonal-flu shots to unemployed people. Walgreens, the nation's largest drugstore chain, said it would provide $1 million worth of seasonal-flu shots to uninsured adults.

For others, the cost of the seasonal-flu shots at the clinics, pharmacies, and offices of private providers ranges from about $15 to $30. Many of the commercial outlets require no appointment and accept walk-up patients. The fee is often picked up by health insurance.

While many locations across Pennsylvania and New Jersey have moved up the dates of the vaccination clinics, Philadelphia is sticking to its schedule.

The city's Department of Public Health will begin flu-shot clinics in October, said department spokesman Jeff Moran. Vaccinations will be given at eight district health centers and more than 200 community sites.

In New Jersey, Burlington County will offer its first vaccinations tomorrow at a clinic at the New Hanover Township Community Center in Jacobstown. Clinics will be held across the county through Nov. 20.

"We have vaccine early, and we have the staff to start it now. It's more efficient, manpower-wise, and better for the public," said county spokesman Loretta O'Donnell.

Camden County will begin its clinics Sept. 30 at the Senior Health Fair in Cooper River Park in Pennsauken. Twenty-nine others are planned through Nov. 13.

With H1N1 vaccines unavailable until later this year, health providers will have to organize another set of inoculation clinics. The gap between them "gives us time to plan," said Patrick Shuttleworth, director of Camden County's Department of Health and Human Services.

Despite the anticipated increased demand for seasonal-flu vaccines, "there should be plenty to go around," added Camden County Health Officer Bob Smith.

In Gloucester County, public clinics will begin Oct. 17, about a week early, at the Clayton County Complex in Clayton. Thirty-eight more clinics will be held through Dec. 28. The county will provide shots to homebound residents this month.

"Just the seasonal-flu vaccinations alone take a lot of planning," said Tammy Jones, Gloucester County's director of health and senior services. "But we will be prepared."

Some private medical practices aren't waiting for patients to show up for the shot. They're reaching out to them.

"We're calling those who are at high risk, asking them to come in," said Gary Evans, office supervisor at the Pediatric Care Group in Jenkintown. "Our providers looked at this [the calls] as a major initiative."

Flu vaccinations already are being given at commercial outlets such as CVS and its walk-in MinuteClinics, Walgreens, and Rite Aid. The stores' flu-shot clinics will begin over the next three weeks.

So far, doctors don't know whether it will take one or two doses of H1N1 vaccine to protect against that flu. What is clear is that it will be a multi-shot season for many people. Health experts say it will be safe to receive the seasonal and H1N1 vaccinations at the same time.

Trying to prepare the public for seasonal flu and H1N1 simultaneously is challenging, but health officials and private providers are taking it a step at a time.

"There's a two-prong approach," said Huff of the Pennsylvania Health Department. "First we get people to get the seasonal flu shot, then the H1N1 shot."

For information on county seasonal flu-shot clinics in Pennsylvania, go to http://go.philly.com/flupa For those in New Jersey, go to http://go.philly.com/flunj

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