Flu vaccine plentiful in Vt.

A new strain of the flu is heading for Vermont this year, but health officials say supplies of vaccine to deal with it are plentiful.

“The flu vaccine is in good supply and manufacturers have begun shipping to the people who purchase it,” said Sue Barry, immunization program chief at the Vermont Department of Health. “In Vermont, over 32,000 doses have been shipped so far.”

The 2007 vaccine contains ingredients designed to thwart a new flu strain originating in the Solomon Islands. The strain is believed likely to make the unvaccinated sicker than other strains of flu in recent years.

Barry said she’s hoping to boost Vermont’s immunization numbers from their levels in recent years, when 65 percent of Vermonters older than 65 typically have received the vaccine, but only 30 percent of younger adults.

One problem in recent years, a shortage of vaccine, has been alleviated, meaning that even younger, healthier people should get the shot to avoid spreading the flu, Barry said. The cost ranges from free to about $35, she said.

Hand-washing is second-best to immunization as a way to avoid the flu, Barry said. People catch it from surfaces contaminated by the airborne particles that carry the flu, or breathe the particles in directly, she said.

Reactions to the flu shot, which can include redness, swelling and slight pain at the injection site for a day or so, are outweighed by the benefits of not getting sick, said Donna Morris, infection control coordinator at Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital in St. Johnsbury.

“Regular seasonal flu can result in rather severe illness requiring hospitalization many times,” Morris said. “Not to mention you don’t want to be sick for a long period of time missing work.”

Listings for flu shot clinics will be advertised in newspapers and on radio, Morris said. She said patients also can check with their primary care doctors for times and locations.

The Associated Press