Media Release

For Immediate Release:
Date: November 16, 2004
Contact: Robert Marshall, PhD. 222-1017

HEALTH Distributes Flu Vaccine to RI Nursing Homes and Long-Term Care Facilities

The Department of Health (HEALTH) announced today that nursing homes and long-term care facilities will receive enough flu vaccine for residents and some direct care staff. This vaccine comes from supplies recently released by CDC, donated vaccine and other sources. Health care workers get vaccinated in order to prevent the spread of flu to vulnerable patients and residents.

So far, Rhode Island health care providers, hospitals, visiting nurse agencies, the Department of Health and other organizations have received nearly 150,000 doses of flu vaccine for priority groups. HEALTH expects to receive as much as 50,000 more between now and the end of January.

“We are releasing the vaccine to nursing homes and long-term care facilities first because older adults living in congregate settings are most likely to develop serious or fatal complications from influenza,” said Patricia A. Nolan, MD, MPH, Director of Health. “Today’s action takes us another step toward protecting our most vulnerable population. Due to the national shortage, there will not be enough vaccine to cover everyone in the original CDC priority groups. Personal prevention continues to be our first line of protection against the spread of flu,” she added.

As an additional supply becomes available through January 2005, HEALTH will distribute the vaccine to cover the greatest possible number of people in the high priority categories. HEALTH’s objective is to make the best use of vaccine for persons most at risk and to reduce the number of deaths and hospitalization due to influenza.

Health care workers are a priority group for being immunized. HEALTH encourages health care workers under 50 years old to be immunized with FluMist© nasal spray vaccine. This strategy makes the injectable vaccine available for those who are not eligible for nasal spray vaccine.

In the meantime, HEALTH encourages everyone to keep practicing the following personal prevention measures:

• Wash your hands often with soap and warm water.
• Cough and sneeze into your arm, not your hands, or cover your nose and mouth with a tissue. Discard used tissue right away.
• Stay away from sick people.
• If you or your children are sick, stay home from work, school, and errands.

For more information about preventing influenza go to: www.HEALTH.ri.gov/flu.