H1N1 Update for 12/17/09

Oregon Public Health officials have made H1N1 vaccine available to everyone

Supplies of H1N1 vaccine in Oregon have risen rapidly in the last couple of weeks.  Oregon Public Health officials have now made the H1N1 vaccine available to everyone who wants to be vaccinated.  Previously the vaccine had been prioritized to groups most at risk from H1N1 influenza.

While cases of H1N1 flu have dropped off over the past few weeks, there is a good possibility that additional waves of illness may occur over the next few months. Health officials continue to urge people to get vaccinated to prevent problems later this winter.

H1N1 vaccine is now more widely available in the Portland area.  Check with your local providers or visit the Multnomah County Health Department for information on where to get the vaccine.  During winter break, the L&C Student Health Service will not have the H1N1 vaccine, though we expect to have some available in early February once the spring term has started.

Availabilty of H1N1 vaccine is also increasing across the US. Many other states have either expanded eligibility already, or are considering doing so in the near future. 

For students and other community members who are traveling to other states during winter break, please consider contacting local health care providers or getting vaccinated in your home community.  To locate a vaccine provider near you, contact your County Health Department, or visit www.flu.oregon.gov for a nation-wide flu clinic locator.   

For more information on H1N1, visit http://www.flu.gov, or http://www.cdc.gov/H1N1FLU.   

For  questions, please contact the Health Promotion and Wellness Office at 503-768-7112, or healthed@lclark.edu.

Stay well,

Melissa Osmond, MPH, CHES

Associate Director for Health Promotion