H1N1 Weekly Update : Week of November 16, 2009

Finding a Flu Shot

Every day, health care providers and public health agencies are receiving new shipments of H1N1 flu vaccine. As a result, information on where and when clinics are being held changes daily.  The following tools may be helpful for New Jerseyans seeking an H1N1 flu shot.

Google Inc. has launched a nationwide flu shot finder to help people locate clinics that offer both seasonal and H1N1 vaccines. You can access the flu shot finder from the DHSS web site or directly at www.google.com/flushot.

You can search by town, county and zip code to find flu shots at locations such as major retail pharmacies and supermarkets.  Google’s flu shot finder includes New Jersey’s scheduled public health clinics, which are also being listed on the DHSS website’s flu shot search page.

Other ways to search for vaccine:

• Contact your physician, community health center, local pharmacy, local or county health department, hospital or school. Many doctors, health clinics and schools are providing vaccine to their patients and students, while local health departments, pharmacies and some hospitals are offering clinics to the public.
  
  
• Visit the DHSS flu shot search page to learn about public health clinics that are being planned and will be announced when vaccine is available, as well as to find clinics with scheduled dates.
  
  
• Call New Jersey’s H1N1 Information Hotline - 1-866-321-9571. Live operators are available from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week. The hotline has answered 20,000 calls since it opened on Oct. 6.

Vaccine Shipments

More than 1.1 million doses of vaccine have been shipped to more than 1,000 public health and health care providers throughout every region and county in New Jersey. Here is a breakdown of the amount of H1N1 vaccine and the type of provider that received the vaccine. 

• County and local health departments – 600,000 doses
• Physicians’ offices and employee health services – 300,000 doses
• Hospitals – 105,000 doses
• Community Health Centers – 36,000 doses
• Colleges – 23,000 doses
• Government agency and health care facilities that serve target populations – 45,000 doses
• Retail Pharmacies – 20,000 doses

The federal government has assured DHSS that they will be able to produce and distribute enough vaccine for everyone who wants it.  However, with limited vaccine available at this time, it is important to first target the individuals most susceptible to H1N1 flu. 

Additional information on H1N1 flu is available at the federal website.