Flu vaccine to arrive, shots given next week

By Staff
Leada Gore, Hartselle Enquirer
Morgan County residents hoping to beat the flu this winter have another shot at a vaccination.
According to Clinic Supervisor Karen Butler, the Morgan County Health Department is expecting some 2,390 doses of the vaccine. The vaccines are expected to arrive Friday and will be administered next week to high-risk patients.
The shipment is part of one from the Alabama Department of Public Health. The department is distributing an additional 90,000 doses of influenza vaccine and will administer them Nov. 16-17 through all county health departments.
Vaccines will be administered on a first come, first served basis. Individuals with last names starting with A-K will be vaccinated Nov. 16 and those with the last name L-Z will be vaccinated Nov. 17.
Immunizations will be given to at-risk people starting at 8 a.m. each day and until the supplies are exhausted.
Only those classified as being in a priority group can receive the vaccination. Priority groups are:
The state health department has used a formula based on the original orders for each county and the census population to determine how many doses each county will receive. Each county is guaranteed at least 200 doses. A limited amount of additional vaccine is expected to be available within the next months for both private medical providers and the state health department.