ATTEMPTING TO GET THE SHOTS! Yesterday's Novedades said, as I understood it, that the Dept of Health will be responsible for distributing the H1N1 vaccine, here, and that preference will continue to be given to those known to be at elevated risk of death from swine flu such as, "women in the third trimester of pregnancy; those with chronic illnesses such as diabetes, HIV and AIDS," etc. [Earlier in this thread, Rivergirl had mentioned she was prone to pneumonia, and I think that would get her an audience on the question of availability of the vaccine in her case, especially if she could provide hospital records.] Distribution of the first shipment was said to have been to the "public hospitals," and the three public "health jurisdictions" (Benito Juarez, Cancun, being one of them). The article explained that a "second shipment" of vaccine, containing 4,000 doses had not arrived on December 7th, as expected, and no explanation had yet been offered as to why it was delayed. (Could it perhaps be the one that Mixz1 was referring to, above?) A third shipment, presumably also containing 4,000 doses, was expected to be delivered on December 18th, and would be distributed as before. ________________ Sounds as if the private hospitals will have to work out their own chain of distribution if they want to be able to offer the vaccine, at some point. For those falling in one of the high risk categories who wish to be vaccinated, I could suggest contacting Cancun's General Hospital, or any of the public health offices, to start your search. Be sure to take proof of your residence with you. It is possible that they have still got some of the original shipment on hand, if they've been limiting its use as they should. Hospital General, Cancun, is located at SM 65, Andador 5, between 12 y 13; just east of Av. Tulum, and just north of Lopez Portillo. Expect it to be busy, as it is the largest charity hospital in Cancun, and will treat all, without regard to ability to pay. (Personal rec: don't go first thing in the morning, that's when everybody goes for government services, hoping to beat the crush and, thereby, creating one: wait till mid afternoon.) You should go prepared to pay, in case their policy is to receive payment from those with ability to pay. (I've encountered that in other countries, when dealing with public hospitals: the charges, if any, are likely to be embarrassingly small). If you want to try the Department of Health, and you can access the page, below, there are a number of places listed: whether these represent somewhere you might get the vaccine, I don't know. It's just where I would start, if I were looking. http://www.saludqr.gob.mx/web/Paginas/infraestructura/BJ.pdf [You may have to zoom in on the list to read it: print is small.] One of the things I notice from the list is that the Dept of Health has a unit at the same address as the General Hospital, making it an even better place to start your hunt.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34432437/ns/health-cold_and_flu/ ATLANTA - Hundreds of thousands of swine flu shots for children have been recalled because tests indicate the vaccine doses lost some strength, government health officials said Tuesday. The recall is for about 800,000 pre-filled syringes intended for young children, ages 6 months to nearly 3 years. The shots, made by Sanofi Pasteur, were distributed across the country last month and most have already been used, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Doctors were notified of the voluntary recall on Tuesday. Dr. Anne Schuchat, a CDC flu expert, stressed that parents don't need to do anything or to worry. The vaccine is still safe, she said. The issue is the vaccine's strength. Tests done before the shots were shipped showed that the vaccines were strong enough. But tests done weeks later indicated the strength had fallen slightly below required levels. Why the potency dropped isn't clear. Children in that age group are supposed to get two doses, spaced about a month apart. Health officials don't think children need to get vaccinated again, even if they got two doses from the same lots, said Schuchat. Swine flu vaccine has been available since early October, and since then manufacturers have released about 95 million doses for distribution in the United States. The recalled shots were made by Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of France-based Sanofi-Aventis Group. The company reported the potency findings to the government officials and did a voluntary recall. A Sanofi Pasteur representative could not immediately be reached for comment Tuesday. Sanofi Pasteur bills itself as the No. 1 manufacturer of flu vaccines in the world. It makes flu vaccine at sites in France and in Pennsylvania. Notice that the vaccine, intended for use in the US, is made by a European owned company, with facilities in Pennsylvania. I guess we don't have enough American owned and operated labs. Notice too, that according to the article most of the vaccine has already been used. Great quality control! Government managed health care, anyone?
5 million doses of nasal H1N1 vaccine recalled Sound familiar? For the second time there's notice of a recall, along with the comment that most of the vaccine has already been used. And again, a US based but foreign-owned laboratory. Medimmune is owned by Astra-Zeneca, A British-Swedish corporation. Does anyone know where Mexico is sourcing its vaccine from? from 5 million doses of nasal H1N1 vaccine recalled - Swine flu- msnbc.com WASHINGTON - Drugmaker MedImmune is recalling nearly 5 million doses of swine flu vaccine because the nasal spray appears to lose strength over time, federal health officials announced Tuesday. The vaccine recall is the second this month caused by declining potency and comes as public health officials urge millions of Americans to get vaccinated against swine flu. The action affects more than 4.6 million doses, but the vast majority have already been used, according to the Food and Drug Administration. Agency officials said the vaccine was strong enough when it was distributed in October and November. “The slight decrease in potency is not expected to have any effect on the protective effect of the vaccine,” said Norman Baylor, director of the FDA’s vaccine research office. “We are not recommending revaccination.” The agency is looking into the problem but said it’s not uncommon for vaccines to lose strength over time. MedImmune’s vaccine has a recommended shelf life of about four months. The company has about 3,000 doses in its warehouses but does not know how many remain in the field, according to the FDA. Last week, vaccine maker Sanofi Pasteur recalled hundreds of thousands of swine flu shots for children because tests indicated those doses lost some strength. Most of those doses had already been used, too. Maryland-based MedImmune, a subsidiary of London-based AstraZeneca PLC, voluntarily recalled 13 lots of its vaccine, “due to a slight decrease in potency” discovered through routine quality control testing, said spokesman Tor Constantino. “It’s not a safety concern. People who have received doses from the affected lots do not need to be revaccinated. The doses were well within potency specification,” he said. Swine flu vaccine has been available since early October, and since then manufacturers have released over 111 million doses for distribution in the U.S. MedImmune makes the only nasal spray version, which can be used by healthy people ages 2 to 49. Only in recent weeks have state authorities lifted restrictions on who can get vaccinated. Previously the vaccines were reserved for high-risk patients, including pregnant women and schoolchildren. In a telephone news conference on Tuesday, Dr. Anne Schuchat of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that 60 million Americans have received swine flu vaccine, and said intense monitoring for side effects has not turned up any safety concerns. “We are not seeing any worrisome signs,” she said. The vaccine supply has increased so much in recent weeks that she urged parents of children 10 and younger to get them a second dose, because studies show this age group needs two for optimal protection. Flu activity has slowed, but “it’s not gone,” Schuchat said. “None of us know what the weeks and months ahead will bring in terms of influenza activity, and it’s very important not to become complacent.” The first wave of the swine flu pandemic began in April, when the strain was discovered. A larger wave started in the late summer and is declining. Infections are now widespread in 11 states, down from 48 in late October. A new Harvard poll released Tuesday finds that concern about swine flu has waned along with the number of new cases being reported. Only 40 percent of people now say they are concerned that they or a family member will get sick from swine flu during the next year. That’s down from an earlier poll in September, when 52 percent said they were worried about swine flu. The new poll found that most parents who sought vaccine for their children were able to get it. However, more than one-third of respondents said they did not plan to seek it for their kids. The Harvard School of Public Health polled more than 1,600 adults on Dec. 16 and 17. Also on Tuesday, a 13-year-old dog in suburban New York was confirmed as the first known case of swine flu in a dog. The pet apparently caught the virus from his owner. The CDC’s Schuchat said that animals can carry and spread flu viruses, but such cases are rare and people should not be afraid to enjoy their pets. A few cats and ferrets have also been diagnosed with swine flu.
The Centers for Disease Control in the U.S. have reported that one in five persons living in the U.S. have now had the H1N1 vaccine, and the number of new cases is declining. One in five sounds like quite a high level of vaccination for flu, and once a significant percentage of the population is immune to a disease, it becomes harder and harder for that disease to spread, widely. Perhaps that point has been reached. Mexico, not having access to such a large amount of vaccine, has probably not gotten there, yet. Has anyone here tried going to the public health department for their innoculation against H1N1, or seasonal flu? I was impressed, when visiting Oaxaca, to see lines of people at the General Hospital, waiting to receive their jabs in the open air (I suspect they were getting seasonal flu innoculations.) There were public health notices everywhere, regarding the flu, and bottles of antiseptic wash for the hands in every public place, including the cathedrals.
An IMSS doctor visited my son's school on Friday, giving the kids the H1N1 vaccine. We had to bring in his IMSS cartilla (vaccine record) and a letter of consent. Haven't been to IMSS itself though, sorry.
Hi, CC. Glad your son had a chance to get innoculated. It seems more likely to have been someone from the Public Health Dept than from IMSS that came to your son's school, though this may be a community outreach that IMSS has agreed to participate in, and help with, by contributing some of their employees' hours to the effort. What made you think this was an H1N1 innoculation, rather than one for seasonal flu? Is that what they notated on the shot record? [If they've moved on to providing H1N1 protection more widely, it would mean they've solved the supply problem, at least in part.]
Hi V, They had a letter posted outside the school stating that they were bringing in someone from IMSS (through Sec de Salud I guess though the note said IMSS) specifically for H1N1. I read somewhere (though for the life of me I can't find the link!) that they were widening the availability and that it would soon be available in pharmacies.
Vaccine availability Webero, what did you read, specifically, about this? I talked with doctors at IMSS, and they said the H1N1 vaccine was not yet available for any but the high risk groups (but that situation must be in flux, as Cancuncanuck's situation with her son demonstrates). I don't think we should be complacent about this: H1N1 is still killing those in the prime of their lives. (Oddly, it doesn't make children and the elderly nearly as sick as those in the most productive years of their life.) I spoke with an internal medicine specialist who was distressed by a case she'd had, recently. She admitted a 35 YOA woman, with two children, brought to the hospital by her family, who presented with a fever and shortness of breath. The doctors put her on a respirator and supportive care (IMSS General Hospital, Zone 3, at Xcaret and Coba). During her stay, she demonstrated all the symptoms of H1N1, and tested positive for the disease. Five days later, she was dead, in spite of these efforts, having drowned in her own secretions. [I'll remind the readers that it's the policy of IMSS, nationwide, to treat all patients presenting with symptoms of influenza, regardless of whether you're enrolled in their system- in case you suspect anyone you know of having the disease.]
V, webero is my hubby, he was saying that the paper we got from the school said H1N1 (and the vaccine "report card" clearly states H1N1).
