Flu Shot Appointments Filled

11/2/2004

Wake County Human Services (WCHS) has filled its 2,700 available appointments for high-risk individuals for its flu shot clinic as of 3 p.m. today. Since 9 a.m. Monday, the agency received 12,535 calls for appointments.

Wake County has approximately 11,700 vaccines in stock with 2,700 scheduled for its appointment-only clinic for high-risk individuals who meet the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) criteria. Of its remaining supply, 5,500 will be provided to local physician offices and 1,500 to long-term care facilities. Approximately 2,000 doses will be used to vaccinate health care workers at various community health care facilities.

The appointment-only clinics will begin Monday, November 8. No walk-ins will be accepted.

"We appreciate the patience of the public as we worked to field this overwhelming demand for flu vaccines," said Gibbie Harris, WCHS Community Health director. "We understand it was frustrating as individuals tried to get through on the phone lines because of the extremely high volume of calls. Individuals who did not get through to make an appointment should contact their local physician's office about availability of flu vaccine. We will review this process and as more vaccine becomes available to Human Services, we will notify the public on how it will be distributed."

After receiving nearly 5,000 calls on Monday for flu shot appointments, Wake County Human Services expanded its phone lines and more than doubled the staff to screen callers based on the CDC's high-risk criteria in order to schedule appointments.

The community should frequently check the Wake County Web site at www.wakegov.com for updates on the availability of flu vaccine.

"We want to remind people not to panic and to remain vigilant in washing their hands, staying away from public places when they are sick and to also eat well-balanced diets, exercise and get plenty of rest in order to help their bodies resist getting the flu, the common cold and other viruses this season," Harris said. "I also want to thank all of the local health care leaders who have helped us prioritize and distribute the limited supply of flu vaccine as we all deal with this national vaccine crisis."

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