President declares swine flu emergency; clinics limit vaccines

Counties restrict H1N1 shots to the most vulnerable groups

Pamplin Media Group, Oct 24, 2009, Updated Oct 30, 2009 (6 Reader comments)

Tribune file photo

Syringes filled with the seasonal flu vaccine await clinics this fall. President Obama declared a H1N1 flu emergency Friday night, and local swine flu vaccine clinics have limited their supplies to the most vulnerable people.

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President Barack Obama declared a national swine flu emergency Friday night, giving new powers to medical facilities to deal with a surge of people seeking vaccines or help.

The declaration comes at a time when Multnomah County was forced to limit its H1N1 vaccine availability to the most vulnerable people — pregnant women and children younger than 5 — because manufacturing and distribution problems have cut the amount of vaccine Oregon and its counties expected to receive this month.

Two Saturday county clinics at Emmanuel Temple in North Portland and at the Native American Youth Association in Northeast Portland were only giving the vaccine to those groups. Other county clinics planned after Saturday have been canceled.

Multnomah County expects to get 6,000 doses of the H1N1 vaccine. Washington County expects 4,500 doses. Clackamas County expects 3,100 doses.

Washington County’s Health and Human Services is providing the H1N1 vaccine at several school-based clinics beginning Oct. 31. The county is limiting the vaccine to pregnant women, children between 6 months and 24 years, households with children younger than six months, health care and emergency medical services workers and people between 25 and 64 who have chronic illnesses.

Clackamas County is limiting its H1N1 vaccines to the same groups.