Virginia has received 1.4 million doses of H1N1 flu vaccine, and the state's health commissioner believes the vaccine will be available to the general public by mid-December.
In a news briefing on Wednesday, Health Commissioner Karen Remley advised people traveling over the Thanksgiving holiday to wash their hands frequently and cover their coughs and sneezes, or to stay home if they are having flu symptoms.
The rate of people going to emergency rooms and urgent care centers in Virginia is 4 percent of all visits, less than a high of 14 percent in late October, but still higher than typical for flu this time of year. Thirty people in the state have died from H1N1-related illnesses.
The state is still focusing the H1N1 vaccine campaign on priority groups - pregnant women, parents and caregivers of children younger than 6 months, those 6 months through 24 years of age, people with underlying health conditions, and health and emergency care workers.
Vaccine locations can be found on a Google locator tool at www.H1N1Get1.com or by calling the state's H1N1 call center at (877) 275-8343.
The Virginia Beach Department of Public Health will have an H1N1 vaccine clinic for priority groups from 10 a.m. to
4 p.m. on Dec. 5 at Plaza Middle School, 3080 S. Lynnhaven Road.
In Norfolk, the nasal spray vaccine will be available at regularly scheduled immunization clinics from 2 to 4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays at 830 Southampton Ave., and from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. and
1-3:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays at the Little Creek Center, 207 E. Little Creek Road.
The H1N1 nasal vaccine spray is for healthy people ages 2 through 49 who aren't pregnant.
A special weekly immunization clinic, providing both the H1N1 nasal spray and the injectable vaccine, is scheduled for 4-7 p.m. every Thursday at the 830 Southampton Ave. clinic.
Elizabeth Simpson, (757) 446-2635, elizabeth.simpson@pilotonline.com
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Health care rationing
Here's a perfect example of Health Care rationing. Notice that it starts out with "The State". I understand that there is limited supplies however, you can carry this to any other areas of health care such as heart surgery, prescriptions, etc..
"The state is still focusing the H1N1 vaccine campaign on priority groups - pregnant women, parents and caregivers of children younger than 6 months, those 6 months through 24 years of age, people with underlying health conditions, and health and emergency care workers."