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AUGUSTA (NEWS CENTER) -- The head of Maine's Center for Disease Control said she knows how frustrated Mainers are with the slow pace of H1N1 vaccinations coming into the state. She's frustrated, too.
Dr. Dora Mills said Maine has gotten just a fraction of the doses promised to it just two months ago, and there's no indication things are going to get better for at least another couple weeks. Back in august, the federal government said Maine would have 612,000 doses of vaccine by the end of the month. In September, the number was 362, 000. But as of this week, the state has gotten just 210,000. That amount is only enough to cover 2/3rds of the highest risk population in the state, children and pregnant women.
Meanwhile, the number of hospitalizations due to H1N1 flu in Maine continues to rise. 50 people were hospitalized with the virus just this week. Half of them were under the age of 19.
Dr. Mills said she has contacted the federal government, asking why it is that Maine can't get some surplus vaccine from other states where the incidence of H1N1 is not as high right now.
She's hopeful that the amounts of vaccine will pick up within two weeks, but that there's a chance that some people who want the H1N1 vaccine this flu season may not be able to get it.
In the meantime, she said people in high risk populations who get symptoms of H1N1 or have household contacts who get those symptoms should get the anti-viral drug Tamiflu to protect themselves. That drug shortens the duration of the flu and it can make it less potent.
Dr. Dora Mills said Maine has gotten just a fraction of the doses promised to it just two months ago, and there's no indication things are going to get better for at least another couple weeks. Back in august, the federal government said Maine would have 612,000 doses of vaccine by the end of the month. In September, the number was 362, 000. But as of this week, the state has gotten just 210,000. That amount is only enough to cover 2/3rds of the highest risk population in the state, children and pregnant women.
Meanwhile, the number of hospitalizations due to H1N1 flu in Maine continues to rise. 50 people were hospitalized with the virus just this week. Half of them were under the age of 19.
Dr. Mills said she has contacted the federal government, asking why it is that Maine can't get some surplus vaccine from other states where the incidence of H1N1 is not as high right now.
She's hopeful that the amounts of vaccine will pick up within two weeks, but that there's a chance that some people who want the H1N1 vaccine this flu season may not be able to get it.
In the meantime, she said people in high risk populations who get symptoms of H1N1 or have household contacts who get those symptoms should get the anti-viral drug Tamiflu to protect themselves. That drug shortens the duration of the flu and it can make it less potent.
