HEALTH: MOST MUST WAIT FOR FLU VACCINE'S ARRIVAL

Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center officials said they have been inundated with calls inquiring about the delay in delivery of this year's influenza vaccine.

But callers get bad news: Because of the delay, unless you are a local firefighter, law enforcement professional, health care provider or government employee, you may have to wait until later in the flu season for a flu shot.

As of Monday, center director Charlotte Craig said, less than half of the 7,000 doses of flu vaccine ordered by the center have been received. Of the 3,000 doses of vaccine received, 1,500 will go to Southeast Missouri Hospital and St. Francis Medical Center.

The hospitals and the Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center will first administer the vaccine to certain civil-service professions and others under communicable disease emergency procedures recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"You've got to have your physicians well to take care of the people that come in sick," assistant director Jane Wernsman said.

Part of the reason the center has received so many inquiries, Craig said, is that health awareness campaigns touting the benefits of being vaccinated for influenza have been so effective.

"We've got the whole world on board now, but we've got no vaccine," said Craig.

The flu typically does not present a significant risk to healthy people, said Craig. But for the elderly, infants, diabetics, asthmatics and people who are HIV positive, said Craig, "They absolutely have a legitimate right to be concerned."

No cases of flu had been reported in Cape Girardeau County as of Monday.

Craig said the center expects to receive the rest of its vaccine order in mid-November or December.

The situation has proven exasperating for the director. Craig said she has received some angry calls and cited one in which a person accused the center of treating rural senior citizens like second-rate people.

This is not the case, said Craig.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report the entire nation is experiencing a shortage of the vaccine, because a viral component of the vaccine failed to reproduce well in laboratories this year.

WHO'S FIRST

Based on health department protocol, four groups will receive flu vaccinations immediately, followed by the general public in 2-3 weeks.

The groups are:

*Firefighters

*Law Enforcement

*Health care workers

*Government employees