Clinic to give 1,000 flu shots

The Panhandle Health District has requested an ambulance to stand by Friday when it holds what may be its only flu-shot clinic this season.

The health district will have 1,000 doses of influenza vaccine to give to people in high-risk groups.

“As far as we know, this is all we’re going to have,” said health district spokeswoman Susan Cuff. Flu-shot clinics originally scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday this week at area senior centers have been canceled because of a national shortage of vaccine.

Elsewhere in the nation, elderly people have collapsed standing in long flu-shot lines caused by the vaccine shortage. A 79-year-old California woman died last week after waiting four hours at a grocery store flu-shot clinic. She collapsed and struck her head.

Friday’s flu vaccination clinic will begin at 9 a.m. at the health district office at 2195 Ironwood Court in Coeur d’Alene.

People will be able to appoint someone to hold their place in line. Some seating will be available in the health district’s lobby. A line may form outside and people should prepare for the weather, Cuff advised.

High-risk groups include:

• Children, ages 6 months to 23 months.

• Adults, ages 65 and older.

• People ages 2 to 64 with chronic medical conditions.

• Women who will be pregnant during flu season.

• Residents of nursing homes and long-term care facilities.

• Children ages 6 months to 18 years on chronic aspirin therapy.

• Health-care workers involved in direct patient care.

• Out-of-home caregivers and household contacts of children younger than 6 months.

Earlier this month, British regulators yanked the license of vaccine manufacturer Chiron Corp.’s Liverpool plant. Chiron, the second leading manufacturer of flu vaccine, had a problem with bacterial contamination in some of its product. Chiron would have provided nearly half the vaccine ordered for the United States.