Posted by Governor's Office on 15:15:55 01/04/05
NEWS RELEASE
Acting Governor Richard J. Codey
Date: January 4, 2005
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Kelley Heck 609-777-2600
STATE MAKES FLU VACCINE AVAILABLE FOR SENIORS
Codey Announces Administrative Order
(TRENTON) Acting Governor Richard J. Codey today announced that Acting Health and Senior Services Commissioner Fred M. Jacobs M.D., J.D. has issued an administrative order allowing health care providers to administer influenza vaccine to anyone under age 65 who requests it, as long as demand from their high-risk/high-priority patients has been met first.
The action was based on the recent Department of Health and Senior Services statewide survey of health care providers, which showed that New Jersey will have a significant amount of unused vaccine. Providers who have unused vaccine can begin vaccinating non-high-risk/high-priority individuals immediately.
Once New Jersey s vulnerable citizens have had the opportunity to get vaccinated, it makes sense to allow physicians and other providers to offer flu shots to the low-risk population, said Codey.
We still encourage physicians and other providers to vaccinate high-risk/high-priority patients first, if any still want to be immunized, said Jacobs. However, those providers who have extra vaccine can now use it up so that as many people as possible can be protected before the flu season peaks.
The influenza season occurs between October and early April, with the peak occurrence typically in January and February. New Jersey reported its first flu case last month, and its flu activity level was recently raised from sporadic to local.
In December, New Jersey had more than 121,000 doses of unallocated pediatric and adult flu vaccine available to the state s providers. Until today, that could only be given to patients at high risk of serious flu-related complications and their caregivers, as the result of an October administrative order by the Commissioner of Health and Senior Services.
Last month, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) expanded the recommended list of flu vaccine priority groups as of January 3, if local availability allowed it.
As a result, the department sent out surveys to local health departments, hospitals, long-term care facilities, federally qualified health centers and physicians to determine the state s unmet demand from high-risk/high-priority patients before moving to make it more widely available.
Based on the survey results to date, providers need another 9,200 doses for their high-risk/high-priority patients. The department is now placing those vaccine orders with the CDC, and vaccine should be shipped shortly.
A total of 478 providers responded by the January 3 survey deadline. There were 188 providers seeking to purchase an additional 9,200 doses for high-risk/high-priority patients. There were 47 providers who said they had nearly 9,000 doses of unused vaccine and 243 providers that did not want to purchase vaccine and did not have any extra.
Surveys were sent to thousands of providers statewide. The department is giving those who have not yet replied until January 12 to submit their requests for additional vaccine for high-risk/high-priority patients. By January 13, New Jersey must place its final vaccine order with the CDC.
We have ample allotted vaccine to meet additional demand up to January 13, at which point any unpurchased vaccine allotted to the state will be reallocated by the CDC to other states with unmet demand, said Dr. Eddy Bresnitz, state epidemiologist and senior assistant commissioner.
There are measures New Jersey residents should take to protect themselves from the flu and other respiratory viruses: avoid people who are ill, stay home when sick, and practice Universal Respiratory Precautions including covering the nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing, using tissues to contain respiratory secretions and promptly disposing of them, and washing hands thoroughly and often.
It is also recommended that seniors and people with chronic health problems receive pneumococcal vaccine as directed by their health care provider. For those who do get the flu, this vaccine protects against a type of pneumonia that can be contracted as a complication of influenza.
Survey forms may be downloaded from the department s web site at www.nj.gov/health/flu, but cannot be filed on-line. Completed surveys may be faxed to the department at (609) 588-3642. Any providers who have questions may call the department s Vaccine Preventable Disease program at (609) 588-7520.
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Photos and audio and video clips from Acting Governor Codey's public events are available in the Acting Governor's Newsroom section on the State of New Jersey web page, http://www.nj.gov/gov_newsroom.html
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