NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 9 , 2009

National Demand for H1N1 Flu Vaccine Leads to Shipment Delay for Seasonal Flu Vaccine

Sheboygan, Wis. —St. Nicholas Hospital may need to postpone some scheduled Shrug the Bug Flu and Pneumonia Immunization Clinics at public sites due to a delivery delay of the seasonal flu vaccine.

Pharmaceutical companies are shifting their focus on packaging and delivering the H1N1 flu vaccine instead of the seasonal flu vaccine. Once the majority of the H1N1 flu vaccine is delivered to providers, packaging and delivery of seasonal flu vaccine will resume.

"The Hospital has received a portion of the seasonal flu vaccines ordered for this flu season," said Ellen Platz, RN, Community Education-Flu Clinic, St. Nicholas Hospital. "Shrug the Bug Flu Clinics began a week ago and we have seen a high volume of people requesting seasonal flu vaccination."

Seasonal flu is typically seen in Wisconsin during the winter months. Vaccination for seasonal flu during the months of November and December will provide protection for seasonal flu. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend getting your seasonal flu vaccine throughout the winter months if not received earlier.

Until the Hospital has received its full shipment of the seasonal flu vaccine, the St. Nicholas Hospital Shrug the Bug Flu Clinic will concentrate on providing seasonal flu shots for the following people who may be at high risk for serious flu-related complications:

• Persons over 50 years;
• Women who are pregnant during the influenza season;
• Persons who have chronic pulmonary (including asthma), cardiovascular (except hypertension), renal, hepatic, cognitive, neurologic/neuromuscular, hematological or metabolic disorders (including diabetes);
• Persons who have immunosuppression (including immunosuppression caused by medications or by HIV);
• Residents of nursing homes and long-term care facilities;
• Health-care personnel;
• Household contacts/caregivers of children five years and younger and adults who are 50 years and older, with particular emphasis on vaccinating contacts of children younger than six months;
• Household contacts/caregivers of persons with medical conditions that put them at higher risk for severe complications (influenza).

The CDC does recommend people to continue the following good health habits like covering your cough and washing your hands to help stop the spread of germs and prevent respiratory illnesses like the flu.

• Avoid close contact. Avoid close contact with people who are sick. When you are sick, keep your distance from others to protect them from getting sick too.
• Stay home when you are sick. If possible, stay home from work, school, and errands when you are sick. You will help prevent others from catching your illness.
• Cover your mouth and nose. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. It may prevent those around you from getting sick.
• Clean your hands. Washing your hands often will help protect you from germs.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs are often spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth.
• Practice other good health habits. Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious food.

If you have any questions, please call 920/451-7489 or 920/459-4628 or [click here] for up to date information regarding available Shrug the Bug Clinics.

About St. Nicholas Hospital
St. Nicholas Hospital is the recipient of the 2009/2010 HealthGrades Outstanding Patient Experience Award™. St. Nicholas Hospital is rated among the Nation's top 5% of hospitals for patient experience and one of only 211 facilities in the country to achieve this distinction two years in a row.

St. Nicholas Hospital is a non-profit hospital sponsored by the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis located at 3100 Superior Avenue, Sheboygan, Wisconsin. Their mission and vision is to provide family-centered, compassionate care without regard for race, creed, or ability to pay. This is achieved through the core values of respect, care, competence, and joy.

To learn more, visit www.stnicholashospital.org .

CONTACT: Xue Yang
Marketing Assistant
St. Nicholas Hospital
3100 Superior Avenue
Sheboygan, WI 53081
920-459-4739
xyang@sns.hshs.org

 

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