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Hurricanes delay vaccine shipments
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Posted on Sep 19 2008
Hurricanes Gustav and Ike have delayed the arrival of some vaccinations to the Department of Public Health.
DPH Immunization Project coordinator Mariana Sablan said she was recently informed that the flu vaccine would not arrive by the middle of September, as originally scheduled.
“If it wasn’t for Hurricane Ike, we’d have the vaccines,” she said.
Sablan said the Centers for Disease Control is using a third-party distributor to deliver the medicine.
“We were told they have to wait until it’s clear,” she said.
People have been calling the Commonwealth Health Center asking about the status of the vaccine, but DPH must rely on the information provided by the distributor, she said. DPH continues to update the patients on the status of vaccines. As soon as the flu shipment arrives it will be ready for use, she added.
Flu vaccines are good for a one-year period, she said. DPH’s last shipment expired June 30.
DPH received the chicken pox vaccine this week and hopes to receive the meningococcal vaccine this month, Sablan said. Under normal conditions vaccines can be shipped and delivered within a week.
Hurricane Gustav made landfall in the United States on Sept. 1, causing $15 billion worth of damage. Hurricane Ike made landfall in Galveston, Texas, on Sept. 13, and has caused at least $27 billion in damage.
