Community Notice: H1N1 Flu Vaccine Status Report

We have been receiving many calls from people wanting to know when H1N1 vaccine will be available. There has been considerable media attention given to this flu so public concerns remain high. Vaccine availability has been improving but the State and Federal Government still retain a priority list for individuals eligible to receive the vaccine until supplies are more plentiful. It is important to realize that this is a national situation; it is not localized to Connecticut or Darien. Every section of the country is facing the same difficulty.

FluMist nasal spray is available in limited amounts but its use is restricted to:

• Healthy children age two through 24 years, including healthy schoolchildren *NEW
• Healthy household contacts and caregivers of infants less than 6 months old
• Healthy hospital healthcare workers and EMS personnel

Injectable vaccine is less available than the nasal spray and its use is restricted to:

• Pregnant women
• Household contacts and caregivers of infants less than six-months-old
• All children aged six months through six years 
• All persons aged 7 through 64 years with high risk medical conditions *NEW
• Hospital healthcare workers and EMS personnel who have direct contact with patients or infectious materials

*NEW: Darien has ordered but not received sufficient amounts of vaccine to hold open clinics as yet but we are beginning to offer clinics on an appointment basis only with one scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 1, from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Darien Town Hall.

If you or a family member is in the above priority group, call this office at 203-656-7320.

OPEN CLINICS WILL NOT BE HELD UNTIL VACCINE IS WIDELY AVAILABLE.

We will provide notification of vaccine availability through www.darienct.gov and other media outlets including Darien Patch.

David Knauf, MPH, MS, RS
Director of Health
203-656-7320

Barrington Bogle, MPH, RS, CHES
Assistant Director of Health