Strickland Talks About Ohio’s H1N1 Plan

CENTRAL OHIO—Where does Central Ohio’s H1N1 vaccine plan stand, and how can you preregister for vaccine clinics?

NBC 4’s Marcus Thorpe reported with the FAST FACTS.

Jon Fowler, 14, was the first local pediatric death from the virus. He was a patient at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and passed away Thursday evening.

Jon’s passing touched many Central Ohioans, including Governor Ted Strickland.

“It is tragic. We have lost a young person. Likely, as the flu season progresses, there will be additional loss of life,” Strickland said.

Ensuring residents know the severity, dangers, symptoms and treatment of H1N1 has been the focus at the state level.

Strickland said the education process is critical and the state and local health levels have to do their jobs, as well, when it comes to getting the vaccine and distributing it.

“We are working at all levels of government, in cooperation with the federal level, to give treatments and vaccines are available to those at greatest risk,” he said.

Some 45 million doses of pandemic H1N1 influenza vaccines are expected nationwide by mid-October.

Ohio, which has about 3.7 percent of the U.S. population, was to receive about 3.7 percent of the vaccine initially.

Doses of the H1N1 mist arrived at Columbus Public Health last Friday.

Across the Buckeye state, 61,500 doses of the nasal spray vaccine were shipped to 100 local health departments.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) saw 152,000 more vaccine orders last Friday, including orders for 58,000 nasal spray vaccines and more than 94,000 shots.

Health officials said those vaccines should arrive during the next few weeks.

The seasonal-flu vaccine availability could be running short in some areas. Strickland said that might mean people are getting the message.

Will Strickland get the H1N1 vaccine?

“I’ve gotten the seasonal flu but will not get H1N1 because I am not a priority,” he said.

Strickland said he wouldn’t receive an H1N1 vaccine until all the priority groups, such as health-care workers; children in the proper age group; pregnant women and others, receive their vaccines.

You can preregister for H1N1 vaccine clinics now at https://h1n1vaccine.odh.ohio.gov/.

Clinics have been scheduled, but benefits of preregistration include: less time spent at the facility where you receive your vaccine, improved accuracy, be notified when your facility has vaccines available, be notified when to receive your second dose and retrieve your record on this system.

For additional information, stay with NBC 4 and refresh nbc4i.com—Where Accuracy Matters.
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