OSWEGO -- The Oswego County Health Department has stopped offering free swine flu shots to pregnant women. Officials say the supply set aside for pregnant women is depleted.
Eliza St. Onge says the county has not received enough doses from the State Health Department. "We have 12,000 doses that we're still waiting on that's on back order. We're hoping to get that soon." she said.
New York State Health Department spokesman Tom Allocco says the state will ship out additional doses next week, but he can't say how many. Allocco says there's a "statewide shortage". He says the State Health Department is only receiving one dose for every seven it orders. Allocco says the CDC expects more doses will become available later in November and through December.
The Oswego County Health Department is telling pregnant women to go to OB-GYN offices because they also received swine flu doses. Doctor Raj Mahajan says his practice in Oswego has the vaccine but only enough for his pregnant patients. Mahajan feels pregnant women should be considered a high priority for the shot. "There has been a woman from this area that unfortunately died from the swine flu in Syracuse. They're among the highest risk."
Besides denying free vaccinations to pregnant women, the Oswego County Health Department has been forced to postpone swine flu clinics in schools they had planned for later this month.
Oswego County is still scheduling appointments for five other priority groups for whom the swine flu vaccine is recommended:
- Infants to 35 months in age
- Household contacts and caregivers of children less than six months old
- Children and young adults ages 3 - 24 years old
- Health care workers
- People 25 - 64 years old with underlying medical conditions.
The Oswego County Health Department can be reached at 349-3572 or 1-800-596-3200.
