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Nov 5, 2009 6:06 pm US/Central
New Shortage For 2nd Dose Of H1N1 Vaccine
ST. LOUIS PARK, Minn. (WCCO) ―
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They were among the children who got the shots at Park Nicollet and then they were among the people who got a call saying their second doses would be delayed. (File)
Andreas Rentz/Getty Images
There's been a lot of news about shortages of flu vaccine, first for H1N1 and even for the seasonal flu. However, some parents who actually managed to get shots for their children were still hit by a shortage. A number of parents have called WCCO-TV, concerned that Park Nicollet Clinics delayed their second doses.
Olivia and Isabella are happy, healthy and active 21-month-olds. But they were born 2-and-a-half-months early and Isabella had lung issues, so they are considered high risk for H1N1. Their parents searched from clinic to clinic to get the vaccine.
"I had the flu clinic set up. We got in and got out of there," said their mother, Kim. "We were expecting to back go on Nov. 30, which is when our second appointment was scheduled."
They were among the children who got the shots at Park Nicollet and then they were among the people who got a call saying their second doses would be delayed.
"They called up and they just canceled," said their father, Paul. "Just for no apparent reason, just out of the clear blue sky. And we were totally not expecting that at all."
Park Nicollet stresses that those second doses are delayed, not canceled.
They're following a CDC guideline that says clinics should not hold vaccine in reserve for second doses.
"We simply don't have enough vaccine for everyone," said Doug Schultz of the Minnesota Department of Health. "Part of the guidelines says don't hold vaccine in reserve to provide booster doses if there's still a need for first doses out there."
So should parents be worried while they wait for a second dose?
"They will not be fully protected," said Schultz. "But they do have some protection from the vaccine and it's better to have that some protection than none, of course."
Comforting, in a way, but not exactly what concerned parents want to hear, either.
"There's a lot of fear," said Paul. "There's a lot of anxiety here."
Park Nicollet says it has received 9,000 requests from people in high-risk groups.
Once they're all vaccinated, the clinic will reassess its inventory and call patients to schedule their second doses.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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