OGDEN, Utah (ABC 4 News) - Donna Tyler's family was there the first day the swine flu vaccine was available in Utah. They stood in line for hours at the Weber Morgan Health Department so she could get her boys and her grandson vaccinated against the H1N1 virus.
Two of them, her youngest son, Tayson, who is 8 years old and her 6-month old grandson Dillon need a 2nd vaccination. Guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control say children under 10 should have a 2nd shot after 28 days to insure full immunity.
It's coming up on 28 days since their first vaccination, but Donna wrote in an email to ABC 4, "I am unable to get an appointment for the second dose within 30 days. I am worried they (her son and grandson) will now need two doses because it is almost the 30 day time limit." In other words, she's afraid that whatever immunity they got from the first vaccination will run out and they will have to start all over again.
I took her concerns to the Weber Morgan Health Department and got both good and bad news.
The good news: There is no expiration on immunity. Whatever benefit the kids are getting from the first vaccination remains. The 2nd shot can be given at any time after the 28th day.
The bad news: At this point, the health department has made no provision for children who need a 2nd shot. There is so little vaccine to go around, they have not set aside any for that purpose. Donna explained her frustration, "I thought they would reserve some for the first wave of children who got the dose, but also needed a 2nd dose."
That could change in the coming days, but for now Donna will have to work the phone like everyone else trying to set up an appointment at the health department. She said, "We were supposed to start calling in the morning at 9:00 and it was busy all morning long. When I finally got through to someone after 11:00, they told me to call back Monday."
The Weber Morgan Health Department is also suggesting that parents try private clinics and doctors. This week, the department began distributing the vaccine to them. Donna has called her pediatrician, but so far his office hasn't received the vaccine.
On Monday, November 2, the Weber Morgan Health Department will resume making appointments for vaccinations. Those appointments can be made only by phone between 9:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m.
The number to call is 801-399-7251.
Additional source for this story:
http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/vaccination/vaccine_keyfacts.htm
