Dr. Greg Stern, a Whatcom County Health Officer, expanded eligibility for the H1N1 vaccine yesterday to include everyone over the age of 6 months. If you have not received an H1N1 vaccine and would like one, please feel free to stop by the retail pharmacy Monday-Friday 9am – 5pm to receive yours. Vaccines will be available on a walk-in basis for $25/dose. Billing to Group Health, Medicare and Medicaid is available.
What’s Happening at Hoagland Pharmacy
Posts Tagged ‘swine flu’
H1N1 Available Now For Everyone Over 6 months
Thursday, 10 December 2009 | by Hoagland PharmacySeasonal Vaccines Available
Sunday, 6 December 2009 | by Hoagland PharmacyWe currently have seasonal flu vaccines available for ages 6 months and older. Cost is $25/dose and we are able to bill to Group Health, Medicare, and Medicaid. The vaccinations are available at the retail pharmacy Monday-Friday 9am to 5pm to walk-in customers only.
In case you missed our last post, we also have H1N1 vaccines available, again for ages 6 months and older. Cost is also $25/dose and billing to Group Health, Medicare, and Medicaid (for adults) is also available at the retail pharmacy Monday-Friday 9am to 5pm to walk-in customers only.
We are following the screening and recommendations from the Department of Health on which the priority groups can get the H1N1 vaccine.
H1N1 Shots Available
Thursday, 3 December 2009 | by Hoagland PharmacyThe vaccines will be available Mon-Fri 9am-5pm for $25/dose on a walk-in basis only at the retail store. They are for ages 6 months and older and billing for Group Health, Medicare, and Medicaid (for adults only) is available. If you’re interesting in receiving a vaccination come on by!
Child and Adult Vaccines Available
Tuesday, 27 October 2009 | by Hoagland PharmacyWe have 75 doses of the seasonal flu vaccine (with preservatives) for ages 4 years through adults available. If you haven’t gotten one yet this year, come on by the retail store between 9am-5pm Monday-Friday or 9am-4pm on Saturday.
We also have preservative-free pediatric vaccines for ages 6 months to 36 months. If this is your child’s first vaccine they will need two doses about a month apart, so let us know!
Still no word on when we will receive the H1N1 vaccine. According to an article I read in Time Magazine the government has backed off the original estimate of 120 million doses by mid-October. They have shipped out some (11 million) and are hoping to ship out another 50 million by mid-November and 150 million in mid-December. The flu virus in grown in chicken eggs and can be somewhat unreliable to culture causing delays in production. In the meantime, remember to wash your hands often, cover your coughs, stay home if you’re not feeling well, and avoid touching your eyes!
Now you know as much as I do about the current availability!
Flu Shots: What’s in Stock
Thursday, 15 October 2009 | by Hoagland PharmacyWhat we have:
We are down to 4 doses of FluMist, so if you’re interested in getting one, let us know!
What we’re still waiting for:
The large shipment of seasonal vaccines we are expecting is Fluzone brand – it is for ages 3 years and up and contains Thimerasol (which is a mercury perservative). We will also be getting 50 doses of preservative free vaccines for ages 18 years and up.
Unfortunately, we are still waiting for the pediatric vaccines as well as the novel H1N1 vaccines for high risk groups. We’ll keep you updated as to when those are in.
Calling all paramedics.
If you are a paramedic, we do have some novel H1N1 FluMist available. I repeat, this is for paramedics only, so if you’re not a paramedic, please do not inquire about the H1N1 until we tell you we have it available. We appreciate your patience and understanding in this matter.
Check back for further updates.
Seasonal and H1N1 Flu Vaccines: What You Need to Know
Monday, 28 September 2009 | by Hoagland Pharmacy2009-2010 Seasonal Influenza Vaccine
The 2009 -2010 flu season is on the horizon (or for some, it’s already here). Most of our flu vaccines are in so if you want to get a jump start on the season here’s what you need to know:
- We currently have flu shots available for ages 3 years and up
- Pediatric vaccines (age 6 months – 36 months) will be available the first full week of October
- We have preservative-free vaccines upon request
- We can bill Medicare, Group Health, and Medicaid (age 19 and up)
- Cost is $25
- We are trying to get the Flumist “nasal spray” and will let you know when we do
- Walk-in (no appointment) Monday – Friday 9:00 to 5:00 Saturday 9:00 to 4:00
Groups who are recommended to get seasonal flu shots include:
- Children at 6 months – 18 years
- Pregnant Women
- People 50 or over
- People with chronic medical conditions
- People who live in nursing homes or other long term facilities
- People who live with or take care of those at high risk
Regarding H1N1
We have preregistered with the State to provide the “Swine flu” or novel H1N1. It is not quite ready yet, and we really don’t have much information about it. The CDC thinks it will be available sometime this fall but are still waiting on manufacturing time and clinical trials. The seasonal flu vaccine is not expected to protect against the 2009 H1N1 flu. More questions and answers can be found on the CDC Questions and Answers page.
Groups who are recommended to receive the 2009 H1N1 Influenza vaccine include:
- Pregnant women because they are at higher risk of complications and can potentially provide protection to infants who cannot be vaccinated;
- Household contacts and caregivers for children younger than 6 months of age because younger infants are at higher risk of influenza-related complications and cannot be vaccinated. Vaccination of those in close contact with infants younger than 6 months old might help protect infants by “cocooning” them from the virus;
- Healthcare and emergency medical services personnel because infections among healthcare workers have been reported and this can be a potential source of infection for vulnerable patients. Also, increased absenteeism in this population could reduce healthcare system capacity;
- All people from 6 months through 24 years of age
- Children from 6 months through 18 years of age because cases of 2009 H1N1 influenza have been seen in children who are in close contact with each other in school and day care settings, which increases the likelihood of disease spread, and
- Young adults 19 through 24 years of age because many cases of 2009 H1N1 influenza have been seen in these healthy young adults and they often live, work, and study in close proximity, and they are a frequently mobile population; and,
- Persons aged 25 through 64 years who have health conditions associated with higher risk of medical complications from influenza.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has an amazingly informative and comprehesive site regarding both the seasonal flu and the H1N1 flu. We encourage you to check out their site for answers to your questions as it really is a wealth of helpful information and will be the first to post when the H1N1 vaccine is ready.