Iowans on the hunt for H1N1 flu vaccine

Sheila Tedrow searched far and wide for H1N1 flu shots.

At 27 weeks pregnant, and with her 5-year-old asthmatic daughter recovering from pneumonia, the 33-year-old Walford woman finally left her county to find them.

“I was on pins and needles hoping they'd call,” she said of her doctor's office in Cedar Rapids.

When they didn't, a neighbor told Tedrow that the Iowa County Health Department had shots available.

She and her daughter traveled Wednesday to Marengo, where both received the vaccine.

The half-hour drive was reasonable. Some Linn County residents are considering traveling two hours Sunday to Des Moines, where H1N1 vaccine will be given to high risk groups during a public clinic at the Iowa State Fairgrounds.

“Germs don't ask for addresses and neither do we,” said Rick Kozin, spokesman for the Polk County Health Department.

Kozin said Iowans won't have to show they live in Polk County to be eligible, but they must be in a narrow list of high priority groups to get the vaccine. He doubts the 2,200 doses will last long.

“There's a frustration at all levels because we don't have enough vaccine,” Kozin said.

Polk County health officials decided the best way to distribute vaccine was through public clinics - Sunday's will be their fourth - but each county determines how to dole out the small amounts arriving weekly.

As of Friday, Iowa had received 135,300 doses of H1N1 vaccine. The flu is widespread in the state.

Linn and Johnson counties are both routing vaccine through health care providers, who give the shots or nasal spray to high risk patients.

“We just thought this was a more efficient way to reach those target populations,” said Stephanie Neff, deputy director of Linn County Public Health.

Linn County has received 8,400 doses so far, more than half of which is the nasal spray FluMist. Some doctors offices are receiving only 10 doses and give those to patients who have appointments.

Eventually, Neff said public clinics for-high risks groups will be held. Those might not be until late November or early December, two to four weeks later than originally predicted.

The same is true in Johnson County, where Public Health Director Doug Beardsley hoped he would see more than the 5,100 doses received so far.

Distribution is complicated with having more than 12,000 health care workers in Johnson County, and only certain groups able to use the 3,000 doses of nasal spray.

“It's just a supply and demand thing,” he said.