King County Public Health on Wednesday (Dec. 9th) announced that starting this Saturday, Dec. 12th, the H1N1 influenza vaccine will be provided to everybody six months of age and older in King County, with the nearest available at SeaTac HealthPoint, which is located at 4040 South 188th Street.
However, depending on the demand, supplies may be limited for a time at some locations.
The county is taking this next step in widening H1N1 vaccine eligibility because many health care providers in King County are now reporting that they are able to meet the demand for their highest risk patients and vaccine supplies are increasing and expected to continue to rise steadily.
“We’re pleased that many of our highest risk residents have been vaccinated and that we have enough vaccine now to open eligibility to anyone who wants it,” said Dr. David Fleming, Director and Health Officer for Public Health – Seattle & King County. “Even though flu has peaked, at least temporarily, H1N1 illness continues in our community. Getting vaccinated is still a very good idea.”
As of Dec. 4, an estimated 380,000 people in King County who are at high-risk for complications have been vaccinated for H1N1 influenza, and an additional 58,000 doses of vaccine are on the ground or in the process of being shipped to vaccine providers in the county.
Vaccination continues to be particularly important for people at highest risk for H1N1, including pregnant women, people who live with or care for children younger than 6 months of age, people between the ages of 6 months and 24 years old, people between 25 through 64 years of age with chronic health conditions or weakened immune systems, and healthcare and emergency workers.
New clinics and vaccine availability H1N1 vaccine is available from local health care providers and pharmacies; see availability at pharmacies. Additionally, some health centers are offering free H1N1 vaccination to people who cannot afford to pay.
Clinics will be held from 9am – 3pm on:
- Saturday, Dec. 12th
- Wednesday, Dec. 16th
- Saturday, Dec. 19th
At these HealthPoint clinics:
- SeaTac HealthPoint: 4040 S. 188th Street, Suite 201;Phone: (206) 277-7200
- Kent HealthPoint: 403 E. Meeker
- Auburn HealthPoint: 126 Auburn Avenue, Suite 400
- Redmond HealthPoint: 16315 NE 87th Street, Suite B6
Public Health will also hold five free H1N1 clinics this Saturday and next Saturday, Dec. 19 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. These same sites, except for Eastgate Public Health Center, will also have clinics on Wednesday, December 16 from noon to 7 p.m. at:
- Renton Public Health Center, 3001 NE 4th Street
- Federal Way Public Health Center, 33431 13th Place South
- Seattle: Columbia Public Health Center, 4400 37th Ave South
- Seattle: North Public Health Center, 10501 Meridian Ave North
- Bellevue: Eastgate Public Health Center, 14350 SE Eastgate Way
Vaccinations are first come, first served, and no reservations will be taken. If demand is high, people will be given a designated time later that day to return and receive their vaccination. Once supply is exhausted, people will be informed as soon as they arrive.
For more information on future clinics and other H1N1 updates, visit: www.kingcounty.gov/health/H1N1.
You can also call the Flu Hotline at 1-877-903-KING (5464), which is staffed with operators to answer questions about H1N1 influenza from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, with a special 24-hour nurse line service extended over the weekend for people with flu seeking medical care advice. Recorded information is available 24 hours a day.
King County Public Health announced Friday (Nov. 6th) that it is now offering a limited supply (15,000 for now) of H1N1 vaccines to qualified people at area pharmacies, including one in Burien and two in White Center.
To get vaccinated, you have to make an appointment by telephone, and meet the criteria listed below:
- Pregnant women
- People who live with or care for children younger than 6 months of age
- People between the ages of 6 months and 24 years old
- People between 25 through 64 years of age with chronic health conditions or weakened immune systems
- Healthcare and emergency workers with direct patient contact
The only Burien pharmacy currently with the new batch is:
- Albertsons-Sav-On
12725 First Ave. S.
Burien, WA 98168
(206) 439-7212 - Walgreens
9456 16th Ave SW
White Center, 98106
(206) 767-2294 - Albertsons-Sav-On
10616 16th Avenue S.W.
White Center, 98146
(206) 242-6310
Here are two others in nearby White Center:
Many of the 44 participating pharmacies are taking appointments by phone starting today (Fri. Nov. 6th); some will be holding walk-up clinics without appointment starting next week. The full list of participating pharmacies, including hours, types of vaccine available, vaccination age ranges and administrative fee, is posted at www.kingcounty.gov/healthservices/health/preparedness/pandemicflu/swineflu/locations.aspx. This site will be updated Monday through Friday by noon; people should contact pharmacies directly for the most up-to-date information.
With limited national vaccine supplies, Public Health – Seattle & King County has had to delay its plan to make vaccine widely available through community venues. As more vaccine becomes available, there will be additional sites for getting vaccinated, including community clinics.
“Making vaccine available through pharmacies is an important next step in protecting our community, but supplies at both pharmacies and health care providers will continue to be limited for at least several weeks,” said Dr. David Fleming, Director and Health Officer for Public Health – Seattle & King County. “Eventually there will be enough vaccine for everyone who wants to get vaccinated, but we are still dealing with limited vaccine supplies.”
With the latest deliveries this week, King County has received approximately 142,000 doses of vaccine. A new allocation of approximately 71,000 doses is being ordered for delivery to the county. Most of the vaccine is being made available through health care providers.
The amount of H1N1 vaccine at pharmacies will be limited, with each pharmacy receiving a few hundred doses each. Vaccine will be re-supplied to pharmacies as more becomes available over the coming weeks, so people should regularly check Public Health’s website for updates.
Many pharmacies are unable to vaccinate babies and young children because their staff is not licensed and/or trained for these age groups. Residents trying to vaccinate children should check with pharmacies directly and with their health care providers since vaccine is continuing to arrive.
Pharmacies may charge a fee for administering the vaccine, typically between $12 and $22 (not to exceed $22). This fee is covered by most health insurance. People should bring their health insurance information to the pharmacy, and they may need to submit a receipt to their insurance company for reimbursement.
Visit the Public Health H1N1 influenza website at www.kingcounty.gov/health/H1N1 for updates on vaccine availability in the community or call the Flu Hotline at 1-877-903-KING (5464), which is staffed with operators from 9am to 5pm weekdays to answer questions from residents about H1N1 influenza. There is also a special 24-hour nurse line service extended over this weekend for people with flu seeking medical care advice. Recorded information will be available 24 hours a day.
View King County pharmacies with H1N1 vaccine in a larger map
In an effort to avoid having to close any more schools, Public Health Seattle and King County is asking parents to be on the front line of stopping flu infections, and are offering this informational checklist for parents:
Please talk to your children about how they are feeling.
If your child is sick, keep your child home. Staying home when sick helps reduce exposure to others and helps the sick person get well faster.
Answer these questions every morning before sending your child to school or child care:
- Does your child have a fever (100º F or 37. 7ºC)?
- Does your child have a sore throat, cough, body aches, vomiting, or diarrhea?
If you answered “yes” to both questions, your child might have the flu. Keep your child home from school for seven days or until symptoms are gone for 24 hours, whichever is longer.
If you answered “yes” to only one of the questions, keep your child home from school until symptoms are gone for 24 hours.
In addition to health and safety information about H1N1/Swine Flu, starting tomorrow, Wednesday May 6th, the Flu Hotline will offer callers an opportunity to speak with registered nurses.
(The hotline starts with a recorded message, follow the prompts for the best language option and when asked if you want “health and safety information about the H1N1 flu” or “if you have the flu,” follow the prompt to “if you have the flu.” This will take you to the menu that allows you to select “talk to a nurse.”)
Hotline nurses will tell callers how to manage their symptoms at home, tell them if they need to see a doctor or health care provider and answer other medical questions about H1N1 flu.
The Flu Hotline number is 1-877-903 KING (5464)
For more information, go to Public Health’s web site: www.kingcounty.gov/health/H1N1 or call the Flu Hotline at 1-877-903-5464
The King County Public Health Department announced that the new flu vaccine has arrived, which means it’s time to start planning on when to “get poked.”
Unlike a few years ago, this year there’s plenty of flu vaccine to go around.
Vaccination is recommended to protect people at high-risk for complications from the flu, including:
- Children aged six months until their 19th birthday
- Pregnant women
- People 50 years of age and older
- People, 6 months or older, with certain chronic medical conditions, such as heart disease, lung disease (including asthma), kidney disease or diabetes
- People who live in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities
People who live with or care for those at high risk for health complications from flu should be vaccinated as well, including:
- Household contacts of persons at high risk for complications from the flu
- Household contacts and out of home caregivers of children less than 6 months of age, who are too young to be vaccinated
- Healthcare workers
King County Health has created a website to help you find nearby flu shots (click here and enter your zip code on the right), but we’ve taken it one step further and created our own customized, interactive and regional “Places to Get Poked Map” – just click on a nearby pushpin, or use the zoom in (+) and out (-) controls on the left and you’ll see a listing of the store or pharmacy where you can get a flu shot:
