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Seasonal flu vaccine delay affects Fox Valley

10 / 29 / 2009

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MENASHA, Wis. - Fox Valley public health officials and healthcare systems announced that there is a delay in receiving seasonal flu vaccine. Regional healthcare systems – Affinity Health System and ThedaCare – are postponing public vaccination clinics scheduled after 10/17/09 for seasonal flu until further notice. This action is being taken due to a delay in vaccine shipments from the manufacturers charged with delivering both seasonal flu and H1N1 flu vaccines.

Remaining seasonal flu vaccine is being prioritized to at-risk populations including:

• Children ages 6 months to 18 years
• Pregnant women
• People 50 years of age and older
• People of any age with certain chronic medical conditions
• People who live in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities
• People who live with or care for those at high risk for complications from flu including:
• Household contact of people at high risk for complications from flu
• Household contacts and out-of-home caregivers of children less than 6 months old
• Healthcare workers

It is expected that additional doses of seasonal flu vaccine will be available to all those who would like vaccinations. Shipments are expected by the end of November, which is only a few weeks later than normal. More information will be released as vaccination clinics are rescheduled. Please be aware that Wisconsin seasonal influenza normally peaks in January and February and there will still be ample time to offer immunizations.

Public Health and local healthcare providers will continue to communicate to the public as more information about the shipment of seasonal influenza vaccines becomes available and vaccination clinics are rescheduled. We appreciate the public’s patience during this delay. For more information, please visit www.affinityhealth.org or www.thedacarenow.org.

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For the Editor:
Affinity Health System, a Catholic mission-oriented regional health care network, is a partnership of Ministry Health Care and Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare. Affinity Health System is the Fox Valley’s third largest employer, according to the Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce & Industry, and is nationally listed among the top 50 hospitals for quality and efficiency (Thomson Reuters, Modern Healthcare). For eight consecutive years, Affinity Health System has been named to the SDI Health (formerly Verispan) Integrated Health Network Top 100, an annual assessment of the 100 most highly integrated health care networks in the nation – Affinity ranks no. 29 in the 2009 report. Both St. Elizabeth Hospital in Appleton and Mercy Medical Center in Oshkosh rank among the top 1 percent among hospitals nationwide in terms of quality and efficiency, as determined by the 2007 Premier | CareScience Select practice National Quality Award. Network Health Plan has achieved Excellent accreditation status from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), the highest possible level. It is ranked 31st in the nation, according to the U.S. News and World Report/NCQA Best Health Plans in America listing. Members of Affinity include Mercy Medical Center and Mercy Health Foundation, Oshkosh; St. Elizabeth Hospital and the St. Elizabeth Hospital Community Foundation, Appleton; Affinity Medical Group, a regional network of 22 family practice and specialty clinics – including two fully operational Medical Home models – in 14 communities; Calumet Medical Center, Chilton; Network Health Plan, Menasha; and Affinity Occupational Health.