Posted on: Friday, October 8, 2004
Kaiser limits flu shots — Mainland needs them
By Robbie Dingeman
Advertiser Health Writer
Kaiser Permanente Hawai'i, the state's second-largest health insurer, yesterday began restricting flu shots to members most vulnerable to the disease as a major vaccine shortage tightened supplies nationwide.
To find out where flu shots are available, call Aloha United Way's 211 information line or go to www.vaxhawaii.com. Kaiser restricted flu shots after learning that some high-risk members in other states didn't have access to vaccine, spokeswoman Alison Russell said. "We're now going to be shipping some of our doses to other Kaiser facilities," she said. She said Kaiser in Hawai'i could send as many as 20,000 doses to its sister clinics on the Mainland.
Russell said Kaiser may send the vaccine only to other area Kaiser clinics because the organization buys in volume and gets a discounted price on the condition that the medication not be distributed elsewhere.
Federal and state health officials are asking that most healthy adults skip their flu shots this year because of a shortage. Those who should still get the shots are limited to these high-risk groups: • Babies and toddlers, 6 to 23 months old • People 65 and older • Anyone with a chronic condition such as heart or lung disease, asthma or diabetes • Pregnant women • Residents of nursing homes and long-term care facilities • Healthcare workers who care for people in high-risk groups • People who care for or live with babies younger than 6 months, and children on aspirin therapy The HMSA subsidiary that runs community clinics at Longs Drugs and other locations had already canceled its flu shot clinics because of the shortage.
And Tripler Army Medical Center announced yesterday that the military has received only a limited supply of flu vaccine.
Tripler spokesman Les Ozawa said the military had expected to get more than half of its vaccine for this season from Chiron, the manufacturer that was shut down because of concerns about tainted vaccines.
Times Super Market pharmacy administrative assistant Stephanie Arakaki said the store felt it had to cancel the shots until further notice after the Liliha store was overwhelmed by several hundred people seeking shots.
"There wasn't enough parking. Regular shoppers couldn't get in" and traffic backed up onto Vineyard Boulevard, Arakaki said.
"A lot of elderly people were panicking," Arakaki said. Rather than risk a repeat, the store is now telling people to call the four clinics run by The Medical Corner for an appointment if they are at high risk for flu.
Dr. Robert Sussman, medical director for The Medical Corner, which which conducted the clinics at Times, said it will still give shots at clinics to those at highest risk for the flu.
Sussman said his staff is asking people to help cope with the shortage by honestly evaluating how needy they are. "If you're a vibrant 'young' 65-year-old who golfs or plays tennis daily, you might want to think twice," Sussman said. "You meet the criteria, but you're not frail."
Sussman said the state Health Department is working with healthcare providers across the state to figure out the best way to get vaccine to those most at risk.
Reach Robbie Dingeman at rdingeman@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2429.
Kaiser earlier this week said the shortage would have little effect on its members because it had received the 70,000 doses of vaccine that it ordered for this season. That changed yesterday when Kaiser officials began limiting the flu shots to those most at risk, as recommended by federal officials.
Find a flu shot
The growing impact of the scarce supply also prompted Times Super Markets to cancel a series of community flu shot clinics scheduled at its stores across O'ahu. The grocery chain said the huge demand for shots overwhelmed the Liliha store on Wednesday because so few vaccine doses were available.
Who should get flu shots?
