Information about the Current Vaccine Recall Riley County did not receive any of the vaccine that is currently being recalled.
H1N1 Vaccine Availability Vaccine will be offered to the general public during regular clinic hours. No appointment is necessary. Regular clinic hours are as follows:
Monday-Wednesday 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Thursday 9:30 AM - 6:30 PM
Friday 8:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Parents bringing their children for a second dose of H1N1 vaccine, please make sure that a dose is due. If in doubt, consult your physician or look for more information on this website.
KSU Lafene Student Health Center will hold clinics on Mondays and Thursdays through mid-December. More information can be found at www.k-state.edu/lafene/.
In addition to Lafene Student Health Center, vaccine is also available on Post at Fort Riley, at Stonecreek Family Physicians, and at several other physician practices in Manhattan. Each of these "private" sites has vaccine for their existing clients. If you are wanting to be vaccinated and you belong to one of these groups, check with your provider for vaccine availability. The health department clinics are available for the general public.
This vaccine has been extensively tested and proven to be very safe. It is highly effective. It is available for free at healtlh departments. Some reports indicate that Americans are more dubious of the H1N1 vaccine than of others. If so, that is ironic since this vaccine has had more testing and oversight than most any vaccine and certainly more than any flu vaccine.
Pneumonia Concerns & Vaccination:
Influenza predisposes people, especially high risk individuals, to developing bacterial pneumonia. During each of the influenza pandemics of the 20th century, secondary bacterial pneumonia was a frequent cause of illness and death. Pneumococcal infections have been identified as an important complication in severe and fatal cases of 2009 H1N1 influenza virus infection. A key difference between this pandemic and those of the past is that now we have vaccines that help prevent pneumonia. Not everyone needs a pneumonia vaccination and for those who do, two in a lifetime is generally sufficient.
CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends a single dose of pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV) for all people 65 years of age and older and for persons 2 through 64 years of age with certain high-risk conditions. For those 19 through 64 years of age, these include: having asthma or smoking cigarettes. For those 2 through 64 years of age, high-risk conditions include: chronic cardiovascular disease (congestive heart failure and cardiomyopathies), chronic pulmonary disease (including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and emphysema), diabetes mellitus, alcoholism, chronic liver disease (including cirrhosis), cerebrospinal fluid leaks, cochlear implant, functional or anatomic asplenia including sickle cell disease and splenectomy, immunocompromising conditions including HIV infection, leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease, multiple myeloma, generalized malignancy, chronic renal failure, nephrotic syndrome, those receiving immunosuppressive chemotherapy (including corticosteroids); and those who have received an organ or bone marrow transplant, and residents of nursing homes or long-term care facilities. Please consult your physician for advice on getting the pneumonia vaccination. Pneumonia vaccine is available at the health department, but not during H1N1 clinics.
Child Dosage Information:
Children under 10 years of age require two doses of H1N1 vaccine, 28 days or more apart. This is true regardless of what type of H1N1 vaccine a child receives. A 28 day waiting period is also required between any two live vaccine doses (these include vaccinations for chicken pox, MMR, and others). The CDC has determined that, if necessary, 21 days between children's doses of H1N1 vaccine is acceptable, but 28 days is preferred. Also, although a 28 day interval is preferred between doses of FluMist, KDHE has announced that the CDC has determined that a 14 day interval between doses of FluMist provides protection. Please count the days and be sure to get your child a second dose! These are available at health department clinics. Paperwork must be completed again for the second dose.
Pandemic Waves
We have come through two waves of H1N1 flu (last Spring and last month) and a third wave seems likely. Most of the U.S. population that has not been immunized has also not yet been exposed. This includes Kansans who think they have had the H1N1 flu but who have not. Since H1N1 is the current dominant strain, because the rapid test is not that reliable, or simply because flu symptoms are assumed to be H1N1, some people think that they have had H1N1 when they have not. Holiday gatherings and the fact that there are still a lot of people who have not been immunized may help set the stage for a third wave. The vaccine provides excellent and safe protection, not only for the individual but also for the rest of the population that person comes in contact with.
Antiviral Medications Flu season lasts well into Spring, so it is much too soon to think that H1N1 is moving on. Continuing community preparations include multiple vaccination clinics at different sites and efforts to ensure the availability of antiviral medications. Judiciousness is recommended in the use of antivirals, in order to assure their availability and efficacy for those in highest need. A supply of antivirals will be available for the uninsured and underinsured through the health department and at some local pharmacies.
H1N1 vaccine is free. Fees for administration of the vaccine will be billed to insurance. Only insurance will be billed, not individuals. If you have insurance, please bring your card or a copy of your card (front and back) with you. Persons without insurance coverage for the vaccine will not be charged at the health department.
In order to save time at a flu clinic, persons who qualify should complete the required paperwork in advance. The vaccination process will be much quicker for you if you arrive with completed paperwork. Downloadable forms are on this website and include: 1) Vaccine Consent Form (required for everyone receiving vaccine), 2) HIPAA Consent (required for everyone receiving vaccine), and 3) Insurance Billing Authorization Form (if your insurance is being billed). You should also bring a copy of the front and back of your insurance card. The consent form is available at doctor's offices, the health department and on this website. Other locations include:
Ray's Apple Market East and West (customer service booth)
Dillons East and West (pharmacy)
Manhattan Public Library
Chamber of Commerce Office
Walgreen's East (pharmacy) and West (registers)
Kellstrom Pharmacy
Dunne's Pharmacy
Walmart (pharmacy and service desk)
Hyvee (pharmacy)
Health Mart Pharmacy in Candlewood
Family & Child Resource Center (WIC and Family Connections receptionists)
The H1N1 vaccine has an excellent safety profile. It has been extensively tested and it cannot give you the flu. It is important to remember that the science of flu vaccine is safe and well established. What is different this year is this particular virus, which has shown capability to attack a younger age group and sometimes cause serious complications. The H1N1 vaccine is your best defense against the flu. We recommend that people get vaccinated as soon as it becomes available for their population or age group. Simple healthy habits will also help protect you, such as hand washing, covering your cough, and staying home when you are sick.
Contact:
Susanne Kufahl, Assistant Administrator and Public Information Officer
Riley County-Manhattan Health Department
2030 Tecumseh Road
Manhattan, KS 66502
785-776-4779 ext 225
