Huron Valley Ambulance medic prepping a flu vaccination shot for administration as part of Saturday's immunization clinic. (Photo by the writer.)

Last Saturday morning, The Chronicle rolled south down State Street just past I-94, turned right at the Citgo gas station and headed for Huron Valley Ambulance headquarters on State Circle. At 9 a.m. HVA medics and staff had started delivering seasonal flu shots “pit crew style” to motorists who waited in their vehicles at one of four stations in two open garage bays.

The early rush already put two dozen cars ahead of us.

Around 15 minutes later, The Chronicle was immunized against the regular, seasonal flu – but not the H1N1 variant known as “swine flu.”

The drive-through clinic was scheduled to go through 3 p.m., but around 1 p.m. Joyce Williams, HVA’s public affairs manager, began explaining to motorists that the 400 doses they’d started with were gone.

Williams started giving directions to other locations where flu shots were available: Concentra (3131 S. State St. in Ann Arbor – 734.213.6285) as well as a series of clinics through St. Joseph Mercy that are staffed by Michigan Visiting Nurses Association nurses. [Link to .PDF]

For a list of additional seasonal flu shot clinics, the American Lung Association has created a flu shot clinic locator.  [Results of ALA locator for 48103 zipcode]

After the jump, more on the HVA clinic, as well as the local arrival of the vaccine against the current H1N1 variant of the flu, which was announced today. [Link to .PDF]

Huron Valley Ambulance Seasonal Flu Shots

This is the third year that HVA has helped distribute seasonal flu vaccine. It’s part of a partnership with Washtenaw County Public Health Department to distribute flu vaccines. But it’s also meant as a test of emergency preparedness: How fast can large numbers of residents be vaccinated in the event of a disaster?

This was the final checkpoint before vehicles could pull forward into one of four vaccinations stations in the two Huron Valley Ambulance garage bays. (Photo by the writer.)

Two years ago, HVA sent ambulances on-site to two different locations: the county offices on Zeeb Road, and St. Joseph Mercy Hospital. Last year was the first attempt at drive-through vaccination – 286 doses were distributed.

Last Saturday, the 400 doses distributed in 4 hours worked out to 1 vaccination every 36 seconds. That rate could conceivably be doubled by opening two additional garage bay doors at HVA headquarters.

The drive-through clinic was supported by volunteers from three different groups: (i) alums from the HVA’s Citizen Academy, (ii) the Athletic Trainers Student Organization at Eastern Michigan University, and (iii) Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity, also from EMU.

The purchasing agency for the vaccine was the county’s public health department, and the $20 price covered the cost of the shots, plus the county’s administrative costs. HVA is an independent nonprofit, so where did the funding come from to pay the HVA medics who actually wielded the needles? Sponsors.

Gene Butman Ford and Wolverine Sports contributed cash to the effort, and multiple other organizations provided various in-kind donations. A gift bag handed out to people getting vaccines included a can of lemonade and a bag of potato chips, courtesy of Northern Vending and Coffee.

The drive-through concept is one that was also adopted by the University of Michigan Health System on Oct. 3 at the intersection of South Industrial and Eisenhower, in a clinic administered by the Michigan Visiting Nurses Association. According to UMHS spokesperson Shantell Kirkendoll, that clinic vaccinated 168 people. [A Stopped.Watched. record of that clinic: "S. Industrial & Eisenhower"]

Percentage of visits for influenza-like illness (ILI) reported by the U.S. Outpatient Influenza-like Illness Surveillance Network (ILINet). The chart shows a national summary for 2008-2009 and the previous two seasons. The previous two years are in blue and green. This year's season is in red. It's off to an early start. (Image links to higher resolution file.)

2008-2009 Flu and H1N1

According to the Centers for Disease Control’s weekly FluView update, the flu season is off to an early start, with 37 states already reporting “widespread” flu activity. Michigan is currently reporting “regional” activity, which is second-highest on a five-point scale anchored by “widespread” and “no activity” on its respective ends.

The CDC’s surveillance system for flu cases, based on “sentinel providers,” shows elevated flu activity nationwide since late April, compared to previous years, with a rapid rise above baseline levels in the last five weeks.

The vaccine distributed at the drive-through clinics the last two weekends in Ann Arbor and available at clinics listed on the American Lung Association Flu Shot Clinic Locator is for the “seasonal flu” only.

It does not offer protection against the current H1N1 variant, commonly known as the “swine flu.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control, as of Monday, Oct. 5, about 2.4 million doses of H1N1 vaccine were available nationwide for ordering, and nearly all of those doses had been ordered.

Arrival locally of some limited amount of H1N1 vaccine has begun, according to an Oct. 13 press release from the Washtenaw County Health Department.

Some of the H1N1 vaccine will be distributed first to the Washtenaw County Health Department, which will act as a clearinghouse for the vaccine to health care providers. Other supplies are being shipped directly to health care providers.

Spokespersons for UMHS as well as for St. Joseph Mercy Health System said that as the H1N1 vaccine becomes available, it will be distributed on a priority basis. From the UMHS “Flu Facts,” the first priority for vaccination against H1N1 flu are:

• Pregnant women
• People who live in the same household as, or care directly for, babies under the age of 6 months;
• Children aged 6 months through 4 years (up to the 5th birthday)
• Children and adolescents aged 5 to 18 years who have conditions that make them vulnerable to H1N1 complications: Cancer, blood disorders including sickle cell disease, chronic lung disease including asthma, diabetes, heart disease, kidney disorders, liver disorders, neurological disorders, neuromuscular disorders, and weakened immune systems due to disease or medical treatments they are receiving
• Health care workers who have direct patient contact

A shortage of H1N1 vaccine is not expected, but the availability of initial supplies will be limited, according to the Washtenaw County Public Health Department.

In the second priority for vaccination against the H1N1 variant are the following groups:

• Healthy children and young adults 5-24 years old.
• Adults aged 19 through 64 years who have conditions that make them vulnerable to H1N1 complications.

Depending on that availability, school-based mass vaccination clinics may begin the first week of November. The Washtenaw County Public Health is coordinating with public schools throughout the county to finalize clinic dates and details. Dates for public vaccination clinics will be announced at http://publichealth.ewashtenaw.org.

On Tuesday, county epidemiologist Laura Bauman told The Chronicle that there have been cases of the current H1N1 strain in Washtenaw County since April, but with a sharp increase in numbers beginning in September. They’re now seeing between 10-15 confirmed cases each week, she said. Officials assume there are many more cases that haven’t been recorded.

Residents who want more information or who have questions about the flu can call the county’s main public health number at 734.544.6700. Nurses and health educators will be answering the phone weekdays between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.