MONROE - The Green County Health Department received a second shipment of H1N1 flu vaccine this week.
The health department will target the 500 doses at daycare centers to vaccinate children between the ages of 6 months and 4 years old starting Nov. 9.
"We are just wrapping up clinics for health care workers," said RoAnn Warden, director of the Green County Health Department
Warden said the initial supply of vaccine, limited to only 200 doses, was used to vaccinate health care workers, designated by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) as a priority group.
The department had ordered 6,000 doses of a mix of the nasal spray and injections on Oct. 8.
Green County's initial plan was to have 15,000 doses to vaccinate target groups originally outlined by the CDC, Warden said.
But the CDC recently narrowed the target groups because of the limited supply of vaccines being produced and delivered.
"I order weekly, more than what they will give me," Warden said.
Rather than vaccinate students in schools as originally planned, Green County will hold community vaccination clinics. Warden said parents of children with chronic illnesses, one of CDC's highest target groups, will be highly encouraged to use the community clinics to have their children vaccinated.
Warden is optimistic that the flow of vaccine deliveries will pick up in the next couple of weeks.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Thomas R. Frieden said an additional 1.8 million doses of H1N1 vaccine have become available since Monday, bringing the total ready for shipment to 31.8 million doses
"We are on track for a 10-million dose increase this week," he said.
That scaled-back goal is well below the 20 million doses per week that officials had predicted last month.
The health department will target the 500 doses at daycare centers to vaccinate children between the ages of 6 months and 4 years old starting Nov. 9.
"We are just wrapping up clinics for health care workers," said RoAnn Warden, director of the Green County Health Department
Warden said the initial supply of vaccine, limited to only 200 doses, was used to vaccinate health care workers, designated by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) as a priority group.
The department had ordered 6,000 doses of a mix of the nasal spray and injections on Oct. 8.
Green County's initial plan was to have 15,000 doses to vaccinate target groups originally outlined by the CDC, Warden said.
But the CDC recently narrowed the target groups because of the limited supply of vaccines being produced and delivered.
"I order weekly, more than what they will give me," Warden said.
Rather than vaccinate students in schools as originally planned, Green County will hold community vaccination clinics. Warden said parents of children with chronic illnesses, one of CDC's highest target groups, will be highly encouraged to use the community clinics to have their children vaccinated.
Warden is optimistic that the flow of vaccine deliveries will pick up in the next couple of weeks.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Thomas R. Frieden said an additional 1.8 million doses of H1N1 vaccine have become available since Monday, bringing the total ready for shipment to 31.8 million doses
"We are on track for a 10-million dose increase this week," he said.
That scaled-back goal is well below the 20 million doses per week that officials had predicted last month.