To date North Carolina has received two shipments of H1N1 vaccine. While the total of these allocations is roughly equal to about 10 percent of the total doses we expect to receive, the CDC assures us that there will be enough vaccine for every North Carolinian who wants it.
The goal in determining allocations during the past two weeks was to make sure the vaccine was distributed equitably throughout the state. With such small amounts of vaccine – and a requirement to ship in increments of 100 doses – it was impossible to provide vaccine to every interested provider. The first shipment went to every local health department to ensure that vaccine was distributed to every part of the state. With the next shipment, we were able to extend delivery to also include most hospitals and private providers who had signed on to administer the vaccine.
By the end of this week, we expect to have received enough vaccine so that all providers who have submitted a contract will be shipped at least some vaccine. Providers who requested a large amount of vaccine will not receive their complete order all at once, but will receive parts of their order during the next couple of months until the amount they requested is completely filled. Vaccine will continue to be sent to providers as long as the provider data continues to show a need for vaccine.
To help North Carolina residents determine when and where vaccine is available, the NC Division of Public Health is working with the federal Department of Health and Human Services to create a “vaccine locator.” When completed, residents will be able to locate vaccine in their area simply by going to flu.nc.gov and typing in a zip code. Until then, people should either call their health care provider, their local health department, or call the NC CARE-LINE at 1-800-662-7030 (TTY 1-877-452-2514) for more information.