Limited Supply Of H1N1 Vaccine Available In SC

(Columbia, SC) – The H1N1 vaccine has arrived in South Carolina, but there is only a limited supply currently available to the public.

According to the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC), it will be a while before the vaccine is widely available for public consumption.

Last week, the state received the first shipments of the nasal version of the vaccine, which is designed for people between the ages of 2 and 49, with no underlying medical conditions and are not pregnant.

DHEC spokesman Jim Beasley says the state has received most of the roughly 26,300 doses that were initially requested and that those doses are being distributed throughout the state.

Beasley says the CDC distributes the vaccine based on a formula that considers the number of people in high risk groups, such as pregnant woman, older adults and young children, in specific areas.

“We were asked to target, provide some general number regarding those (high risk people) and then we were able to start drawing down on those allocations according to those populations.”

An additional 27,300 doses of H1N1 vaccine have been ordered this week and those should begin arriving soon.

However, most of the first doses to arrive in South Carolina are being reserved for healthcare workers and are not readily available for the general public.

Beasley says the injectable, less restrictive, form of the vaccine is also on its way to the state.

“We expect the injectable vaccine to arrive this week. It’s all a matter of distribution points at this time, but we do expect the shipments to begin arriving before the end of this week.”

Beasley says updates, including a searchable list of places where the vaccine is available, can be found on the DHEC Website.

Health officials say people should consult with their doctor or health care provider before getting vaccinated.

DHEC also recommends that people that have already received a seasonal flu shot should also consider getting the H1N1 vaccine.

According to DHEC, since September 1, seven people have died and 145 people have been hospitalized from influenza in South Carolina.

DHEC expects to receive 2 million doses of the H1N1 vaccine by the end of the year.