# H1N1: HHS, CDC, Health Departments all screw it up **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 24, 2009, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/h1n1-hhs-cdc-health-departments-all-screw-it-up/514927 "2009-10-24T01:31:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2009, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/h1n1-hhs-cdc-health-departments-all-screw-it-up/514927/21 "2009-10-25T00:36:51Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > I am happy to ask for your pony but I still want the clear statement that Boards of Health and other providers should be distributing according to the specific “Limited Vaccine Availability” guideline, and even then may need to further prioritize, _not_ using the “Initial Target Group” guideline. I want a CDC pres conference stating that and Sebelius (or Obama even) announcing “Right now, vaccines need to be distributed only to those who need them most. That means that for now only pregnant women, children under age five, children up to age 18 with certain chronic health problems, household contacts of those under 6 months, and healthcare workers with direct patient contact. If you do not fit one of those categories we will need to have you wait while we focus on protecting those at greatest risk. We hope to expand to other groups again soon but these higher risk individuals must be able to get to the front of the line.” Until then Boards of Health will continue to be stupid. Spell it out for them. That’s pretty much what my medical clinic has already said. Except that they don’t even have enough for everyone in the Initial Target Group. Only the children under age 5 are getting it. Not pregnant women, such as my wife. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2009, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/h1n1-hhs-cdc-health-departments-all-screw-it-up/514927/22 "2009-10-25T00:48:57Z")
I’m screwed. I’m on rheumatoid arthritis immunosuppressant drugs. I’m 65. I’m outside the target group, because of my age, even though I’m at probably the highest risk of dying if I get it. “Need answer fast.” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![ShelliBean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f9ae1b/32.png) [@ShelliBean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShelliBean)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2009, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/h1n1-hhs-cdc-health-departments-all-screw-it-up/514927/23 "2009-10-25T03:01:55Z")
Oh, I understand. But that would require someone to stand up and actually be the face of “no you can’t have the vaccine because someone needs it more than you” - and the likelihood of that happening is about as high as me having a place to put that pony. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2009, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/h1n1-hhs-cdc-health-departments-all-screw-it-up/514927/24 "2009-10-25T05:27:25Z")
> [@suranyi](#): > > That’s pretty much what my medical clinic has already said. Except that they don’t even have enough for everyone in the Initial Target Group. Only the children under age 5 are getting it. Not pregnant women, such as my wife. How to prioritize within that group is a tough one. In our large multi-specialty group we pediatricians requested that the pregnant women go first, as we see them as the highest risk, and the most bang for the buck, and then our highest risk kids next (e.g. kids with neurodevelopmental disorders esp those who also have lung issues, kids 6-23 months, kids with bad asthma … and then moving into the others in that higher priority group. A healthy 4 year old before a pregnant woman? I don’t get that. In my office **shelli** that’s what we are saying. We have an extremely limited supply and we are giving to those who are the greatest risk first. And telling people that. As a larger group we are going to try to implement a system with transparency and offer both vaccinations to those most likely to benefit the most in our offices and at group-wide clinics at nights and week-ends (we are a large group) but we have to work out the fine details of how to execute that … and get some supply!! ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2009, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/h1n1-hhs-cdc-health-departments-all-screw-it-up/514927/25 "2009-10-25T05:30:56Z")
**samclem** , you really are not at highest risk. Being over 60, RA and immunosuppressives or not, you are unlikely to catch the bug. Period. The unvaccinated pregant woman and her baby-to-be, my kid with bronchopulmonary dysplasia … now their screwed if we don’t get our supply soon. ---
**Author:** ![PrettyVacant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/49beb7/32.png) [@PrettyVacant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PrettyVacant)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2009, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/h1n1-hhs-cdc-health-departments-all-screw-it-up/514927/26 "2009-10-25T09:24:41Z")
Just by way of comparison with a ‘socialized’ health service, just under 25% of the UK population are in the first priority group and they were notified of their option to have the vaccination this past week. All resources are in place but the scale of it means it could take two months to get to the entire population - though this is though unlikely as many will decline. > [@](#): > > The vaccination programme represents a huge logistical challenge for the health service and is likely to take at least two months to complete. > > It is being run at the same time as the seasonal flu campaign and has forced many GP surgeries to take on extra staff to cope with the workload. > > But Professor Steve Field, president of the Royal College of GPs, said despite the scale of the programme, doctors were ready to immunise the priority groups. > > “We have been planning for this for a while and everything is in place. We will be contacting patients in the coming weeks and they should wait for that.” [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8317212.stm](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8317212.stm) There have been 100 related deaths so far. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2009, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/h1n1-hhs-cdc-health-departments-all-screw-it-up/514927/27 "2009-10-25T12:44:51Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > **samclem** , you really are not at highest risk. Being over 60, RA and immunosuppressives or not, you are unlikely to catch the bug. Period. The unvaccinated pregant woman and her baby-to-be, my kid with bronchopulmonary dysplasia … now their screwed if we don’t get our supply soon. I just meant that _if_ I catch it, then I’m probably in trouble. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2009, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/h1n1-hhs-cdc-health-departments-all-screw-it-up/514927/28 "2009-10-25T13:09:50Z")
In my neck of the woods, where the flu hit very early, we are already Seinfelding it up on who is ‘spongeworthy’. Health care workers were up in arms about being mandated to take the vaccine. There were protests and everything. This came as a big relief to our Governor, who told them [Fine! Don’t get it if you don’t want it!](http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/24/opinion/24sat3.html) Thereby saving a few vaccines from the ungrateful to those who want to be protected. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2009, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/h1n1-hhs-cdc-health-departments-all-screw-it-up/514927/29 "2009-10-25T13:16:08Z")
Another data point: My husband, who does housing work for people with AIDS, was told that he and all his co-workers must get the vaccine. They are all still waiting for some to become available. I don’t know if one can blame Sebelius for there not being enough to go around. Or for health care workers not following the guidelines. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2009, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/h1n1-hhs-cdc-health-departments-all-screw-it-up/514927/30 "2009-10-25T13:56:37Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > I just meant that _if_ I catch it, then I’m probably in trouble. Oh yeah that’s likely true. ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2009, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/h1n1-hhs-cdc-health-departments-all-screw-it-up/514927/31 "2009-11-01T04:45:23Z")
**DSeid,** I feel ya. I’m asthmatic, and I can’t find any damn vaccine anywhere. My doctor’s office has been so besieged with phone calls that they have actually changed the initial message callers get to one that says essentially “no, we don’t have any H1N1 vaccine, and we don’t know when we will have any. When we have news, we will change this message.” The City of Chicago offered woefully inadequate clinics, but only for uninsured, high-risk Chicago residents. I’m not a Chicago resident, but even if I were , I am insured, but I haven’t been able to locate vaccine for any amount of money, so what does insurance have to do with it? A friend of mine who is _an asthmatic labor and delivery nurse_ at Evanston Hospital says she has no way to get vaccinated, either - when I last spoke to her, the hospital had no vaccine. There must be a better way of triaging. (Just out of curiosity, does the severity of a person’s asthma correlate with the likelihood of flu complications? Because mine is actually pretty mild; I can go months untreated, and without any symptoms. I do have a propensity to having colds turn into bronchitis, though.) ---
**Author:** ![Tannim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/0ea827/32.png) [@Tannim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tannim)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2009, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/h1n1-hhs-cdc-health-departments-all-screw-it-up/514927/32 "2009-11-01T05:22:31Z")
I figure I’m pretty much screwed, 42 asthmatic and on immunosupressents. I keep hoping a dose will come available. I do know I am way down on the list though. ---
**Author:** ![Lok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e8c25b/32.png) [@Lok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lok)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2009, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/h1n1-hhs-cdc-health-departments-all-screw-it-up/514927/33 "2009-11-01T13:19:20Z")
Locally, they have tightened up the list of people that will be allowed to get the vaccine. > [@](#): > > Due to limited vaccine availability, it has become necessary to follow more restrictive eligibility requirements for individuals seeking the H1N1 vaccine. Only those who fall into one of the following high-risk target groups will be able to receive the H1N1 vaccine at this clinic: > > Pregnant women > > Household contacts and caregivers for children younger than 6 months of age > > Children 3 years to 18 years of age with chronic medical conditions > > Health care and EMS workers Apparently, they still don’t have the vaccine for 6-36 month infants. ---
**Author:** ![Elret](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Elret](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elret)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2009, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/h1n1-hhs-cdc-health-departments-all-screw-it-up/514927/34 "2009-11-03T09:15:25Z")
There is definitely an amount of unfortunate ignorance on the part of the general public. At the clinic I went to, nobody was turned away (although they did make a point of pulling visibly pregnant women and families with tiny infants out of line first) and there were several apparently healthy young adults who were standing in line defiantly and loudly proclaiming that their lives were “just as important as the rest of you!” A doctor who was walking the line answering questions about the vaccine attempted to explain to them that the prioritizing wasn’t about ranking importance of lives but they just didn’t get it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/h1n1-hhs-cdc-health-departments-all-screw-it-up/514927.md?page=1)