Scottsdale,
Ariz. - The current tentative date for the first novel H1N1 vaccine to ship to providers in Arizona is around October 15, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services. The first supplies will be distributed according to priorities determined by county health departments. ADHS will notify providers when it has sent their vaccine orders to the distributor. The distributor will send the vaccine directly to the provider in packages of 100 doses per vaccine presentation. These will be in prefilled syringes, multidose vials and nasal spray.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is finalizing the Provider Agreement form that providers must sign to be able to order the H1N1 vaccine. ADHS says the form will specify that providers agree not to charge for the vaccine, that they will store and handle the vaccine correctly, and that they will report to ADHS the number of doses given to patients. The CDC will send the agreement to providers in a few weeks, along with a vaccine order form, reporting guidance, vaccine safety information, and vaccine storage and handling directions.
Vaccination cards will accompany shipments of the vaccine along with needles, syringes, alcohol wipes and sharps containers. Providers will give the vaccination cards to patients to show when they received the first and the second doses of novel H1N1 influenza vaccine and the lot numbers. The cards will have a space to tell patients when they should obtain a second dose.
Eventually, supplies will catch up to provide everyone with the vaccine. At first, however, providers should follow the recommendations from the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices to give the vaccine to certain target groups. These recommended target groups are:
• Pregnant women
• People who live with or care for children younger than six months
• Healthcare and emergency medical services personnel
• All people from six months through 24 years of age
• Persons between 25 and 64 years of age with health conditions associated with higher risk of medical complications from influenza.
In situations where vaccine is in limited quantities, these are the recommended target groups who should receive the vaccine first:
• Pregnant women
• People who live with or care for children younger than six months
• Healthcare and emergency medical services personnel with direct patient care
• Children aged six months through four years
• Children aged five through 18 years who have chronic medical conditions.
Once the demand for vaccine for the prioritized groups has been met at the local level, providers should begin vaccinating everyone 25 through 64 years of age.
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