Lucas Co low on H1N1 vaccine

LUCAS COUNTY - Lucas County Health Department officials said the county is running into a shortage of the H1N1 vaccine.

Dr. David Grossman, county health commissioner, said fewer vaccines are coming into the health department and more private doctors offices are getting some of the supply.

"It's not a good thing because this doesn't represent that we had a large supply," Dr. Grossman said. "It's all getting used. This unfortunately represents that we've been using all we have. That's good, but we have a lot more needs to be met and we don't have enough to meed those needs right now."

The health department was giving out shots Monday, but at Wednesday's vaccine clinic at the downtown library, only pregnant women and kids six months thru 36 months can get them.

Schools throughout the county have already been promised some of the vaccine, so it's not all being distributed at the health department.

"I've made the mistake before of saying we'd have some more this week and we didn't get near as much as we thought to us," Dr. Grossman said on the vaccine supply. "I think it will be solely to second guess them."

The injectable vaccine is in short supply, but there is nasal vaccine. If you're afraid of the nasal, because you are worried about spreading the virus, Dr. Grossman said there have been no reported cases of spreading the virus from the nasal mist.

The nasal mist is good, if not better, than the shot, Dr. Grossman said.

The Lucas County Health Department's loss could be in part your gain. If your primary care physician has it, call for an appointment as soon as possible to see if you can get some form of the vaccine.

It could help you avoid some of the long lines the region has seen in the last few weeks.