Clinics seeing lower turnout

LAKE COUNTY — With the peak of the flu season still looming,  fear about its possible devastating effects has anything but subsided, yet clinics offering the H1N1 vaccine  throughout Lake County this fall have seen a varied response so far. Attendance at special, evening clinics has dropped in the past weeks.

The clinic held in Polson last week served around 151 people, Lake County Public Health Services Director Emily Colomeda said on Monday.

“We’re glad when anyone comes out,” she said, but the department had prepared for and expected several hundred people.

The daytime clinics, however, have been very full, she said.

Because of this lowered response at evening clinics, the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Health Services and county officials have decided to discontinue the larger-scale clinics to concentrate on the Tuesday daytime, walk-in clinics.

The free clinics will continue to run from 1-4 p.m. on Tuesdays at Lake County Public Health in Polson and Tribal Health facilities in Arlee, Elmo, Ronan and St. Ignatius.

CSKT and county officials have teamed up for the past several months to offer the larger scale clinics in various locations.

The informational flu hotline set up in the county has also been busy, Colomeda said. The line includes the most updated clinic information, as well as a list of target groups eligible for the vaccine and a rundown of the flu’s symptoms.

It now includes the note that the larger clinics have been canceled. Instead free vaccines are offered every Tuesday at the four locations. Tribal and nontribal qualifying residents can go to any location to receive the vaccine. 

The lower turnout has allowed the county to open the clinics to a expand the target group of qualifying residents.

Now included on the list are persons aged 25-64 years who have medical conditions that put them at higher risk for influenza-related complications.

Pregnant women, persons who live with or provide care for infants under 6 months of age (including parents, siblings and daycare providers), healthcare and emergency medical services personnel and persons aged 6 months to 24 years are also eligible.

Officials are still asking that people not falling into the target groups be patient until more vaccines are made available. The departments have been receiving varying amounts of vaccines each week, Colomeda said.

They find out each Wednesday how much will be shipped to their offices.

The number of actual H1N1 cases is hard to track but the if those cases tested at the state level are reported to the county.

The outbreaks haven’t been severe so far, but there’s no way to know how the flu season will progress.

“We’re happy that is hasn’t gotten worse,” Colomeda said.  “We have had a few hospitalizations of the county residents. In that respect, we don’t want people to put their guard down.

“The more people that get vaccinated, the more helpful it is for the entire population.”

The county health department is also waiting on shipments of the seasonal flu vaccine that have been delayed. The county currently has 30-40 doses left.

Colomeda said they won’t know until a week ahead of time when another shipment will reach Lake County.