Area health care providers to share H1N1 vaccine

Hutchinson Medical Center, selected by the Minnesota Department of Health to receive the H1N1 flu vaccine, will share its supply with area health care providers.

According to a news release from McLeod County Public Health, the goal is to ensure area high-risk patients have access to the vaccine.

“Health care organizations in McLeod County have been working collaboratively on flu planning and pandemic preparedness for many years,” County Public Health Director Kathy Nowak noted in the release. “Ensuring access to high-quality patient care has always been our top priority. Now more than ever we have a responsibility to provide a public service in as safe and effective a manner as possible.”

“Due to limited supplies of the H1N1 vaccine,” Nowak added, “it’s important we work together in a transparent and responsible manner to make use of what we have.”

Hutchinson Medical Center will share H1N1 nasal mist and injectable vaccines with other area health care providers. The vaccine will be given first to priority groups including:
• health care workers with direct patient contact working with patients most susceptible to contracting the flu,
• children with underlying medical conditions, and
• pregnant health care workers who work directly with patients.

(Jorge Sosa is a staff writer for the Hutchinson Leader. He can be reached at sosa@hutchinsonleader.com)