The county’s top health official warned Thursday that more volunteers and money are needed to vaccinate Allen County residents against the H1N1 virus.
Mindy Waldron, administrator for the Fort Wayne-Allen County Department of Health, gave the County Council an update on plans for a mass inoculation this fall.
Because officials don’t know how virulent this strain of flu could be, they plan to eventually provide vaccinations for anyone who wants them.
But not enough of the vaccine will be available for all 350,000 Allen County residents at first, Waldron said, and officials expect to prioritize who will receive the shots.
The federal government will provide the vaccine for free to local health departments along with some syringes and alcohol swabs. Waldron said federal grant money will reimburse the county for the cost of other supplies such as gloves, bandages and refrigeration space to store the vaccine plus paying for staffing and clinic locations.
Allen County expects to receive at least $378,000, of which the state said it will provide a small portion of upfront. That first infusion of cash could come in September, she said.
Waldron expects the total cost to vaccinate the county against H1N1, also known as swine flu, will be more, depending on how long the clinics are provided.
Waldron said she will ask the council for an additional appropriation, either from unused cash in the health department’s budget or from other county funds, to supplement the federal grant.
There are many unknowns related to the vaccination procedures, Waldron said, including which groups will be handled first. Priority groups could include children, health care workers and child-care providers.
Officials also don’t know when the vaccines will be available or whether two shots several weeks apart or just one shot will be required.
After plans are finalized, the health department will tell the public, she said.
The department plans to contract with local hospitals, clinics and private physicians to help vaccinate residents, and those entities must follow the same priority schedule.
They will not charge for the vaccine, she said, but will charge a fee to administer it.
In addition to the contracted groups, the department will need medical volunteers.
Waldron estimated that to give one shot to every resident in the county would take 61 days with a staff of 60 working around the clock.
"That’s not feasible for us alone," Waldron said.
As of Thursday, the Indiana State Department of Health has reported 317 confirmed cases of the virus in the state.
Four deaths have been reported statewide from the virus.
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