Donna Warner

It is important to get both vaccines because the H1N1 vaccine is specific to that strain and will not protect against seasonal flu and vice versa, said Donna Warner, program specialist with the Visiting Nurse Association in Iowa City.

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Warner said the VNA had to change its public flu clinic schedule for this month because of the lack of vaccines available.

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"We are prioritizing and trying to make sure we hit all our senior sites," Warner said. The VNA also is making sure to get to the school locations where they offer public seasonal flu clinics, she said.

"We are concentrating on rescheduling in October," she said. For the places they can't get to this month, they hope to schedule a flu shot clinic in November, Warner said.

The VNA gets its seasonal flu vaccines from three suppliers, she said. Part of the problem is distribution.

"There is such a focus on (the H1N1 vaccine) that getting the seasonal vaccine out isn't as smooth," Warner said.

The pharmaceutical company that works with the national VNA cut the allocation by 75 percent, she said.

"We're not quite sure where that puts us," Warner said.

There will be a $3 additional charge if the VNA bills the treatment to Blue Cross, Medicare or Medicare Replacement, said Donna Warner, the VNA's flu clinic coordinator.

For more information, call VNA Program Specialist Donna Warner at 337-9686.

The Visiting Nurse Association, the fourth participating human service agency in previous years, will not be involved with Project Holiday because of staffing, said Donna Warner of the Visiting Nurse Association.

Donna Warner, programming specialist for the Visiting Nurse Association, said October, November and December are the key months to get flu vaccines.She said no shortages of the vaccine are expected this year.

The Visiting Nurse Association is just one of the many organizations locally that are starting to host flu vaccine clinics.

Warner said certain target groups are encouraged more than others to get vaccinated.Those groups are people aged 50 and older, children ages 6 months to about 5 years, pregnant women, health care workers, those with a chronic disease that affects their immune system and anyone who has contact with any of the other groups.

"What they are eventually trying to do is get everyone a flu shot," Warner said."They are really trying to get people to get their flu shots.It can lead to pneumonia and it can kill."

The targeted age ranges, especially young children and older adults, are selected because they are hospitalized more than others because of the flu, she said.

Warner said January and February are typically the months in Iowa when cases of flu are reported.According to the Johnson County Department of Public Health, symptoms of the flu are unusually high fever, headache, extreme tiredness, dry cough, sore throat, a stuffy or runny nose, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea.People with the flu are usually sick for at least one to two weeks.

Warner said the vaccine protects against three strains of the flu.She said people need to be vaccinated yearly because the strains that circulate in different areas change.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention determine what strains will go around each year, Warner said.

"It takes two weeks to build up to its full potential in your body," Warner said.

There are no widespread side effects to the flu vaccine, she said.Some people report soreness in the arm that received the injection and even fewer report mild fevers.

Warner said people who get sick after they are vaccinated have probably been carrying another virus and just recently became sick with it.

"It's a fallacy that you can get the flu from the flu shot," she said."If you're getting a flu shot, you're getting a dead vaccine."

Another option for people aged 2 to 49 is a nasal mist vaccine.Warner said the option, which is in limited supply, is for children or adults who can't handle shots.She said some people experience a runny nose for a few days after the mist is administered.

The Visiting Nurse Association has a number of flu vaccine clinics that are open to the public.The group will bill Medicare or BlueCross, Warner said, and other residents can pay cash or check and receive receipts to bill their insurance companies.The vaccine is $24 and the nasal mist is $31.For a list of Visiting Nurse Association flu vaccine clinics, go to www.vnaic.org.

"We do go to a lot of companies and give private clinics as well," Warner said.

"Everyone 50 and older, children under 5, (and) anyone with chronic illness -- that's everyone we suggest," said Donna Warner, program specialist for the VNA."We (also) suggest that everyone around or taking care of those people should also get a flu shot -- so basically that's everybody."

Warner said new findings show that it's really never too late to get a flu shot.Although most people aim for October and November, shots in December can still protect people from getting the potentially deadly flu.That's because the influenza season, which usually peaks in February, can occur from November through May, Warner said.

People classified at "high risk" for complications from influenza include anyone who is 65 years and older, pregnant women, children six to 59 months, residents of long-term care facilities, people with muscle or nerve disorders, weakened immune systems because of other illnesses such as cancer or HIV/AIDS, and anyone with long-term health problems.

"It's not perfect.It doesn't stop everything, but it is successful most of the time," Warner said.

According to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 200,000 people are hospitalized and 36,000 people die from the flu every year.

"So far things are looking good," said Donna Warner, program specialist at the Visiting Nurse Association."We are not anticipating having a shortage."

Warner said the group expects to have about 4,000 shots this year.

Last year the association had only 2,000 shots after Chiron, one of its major suppliers, did not receive approval from the Food and Drug Administration because of problems in its manufacturing plant.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services last year reported that Chiron was supposed to produce between 46 million and 48 million shots in 2004.

The same supplier, Chiron, is working on getting approval this year, but Warner said she expects last year's issues have been resolved.

Flu clinic coordinator and VNA program specialist Donna Warner said no vaccine shortages are anticipated.

"Supposedly, we are in very good shape," Warner said, adding that the group expects to give more than 4,000 shots this year."We are awaiting delivery, though, as usual.We don't have everything in house right now, but we do have delivery scheduled."

Although the flu season does not usually get into full swing until late December or January, Warner said cases could starting cropping up now.The number of cases rises after holiday travelers return and University of Iowa students return from holiday breaks, she said.

"That's one of the things that helps spread the flu," Warner said.
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Last year, about 4,400 flu shots were given at the clinics -- the most since the VNA started offering flu shot clinics in 1987, Warner said.

"We hope to meet that again this year if not increase it," she said.

Additional flu shot clinics could be added after Dec. 2 if there are enough vaccines left, Warner said.

"It's never too late to get your flu vaccine," she said.

Donna Warner, a program specialist at the VNA, told the Press-Citizen recently that they don't anticipate a shortage of vaccines this year, and that they expect to give out some 4,000 shots this year.