DHSS Press Release |
Date: November 16, 2004 DHSS-130-2004 |
| Vincent P. Meconi, Secretary Allison Taylor Levine, Communication Director (302) 255-9037, Pager (302) 247-8523 |
Contact: Heidi Truschel-Light Phone: (302) 744-4907 Pager: (302) 247-1560 |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEW CASTLE COUNTY FLU VACCINATION APPOINTMENTS FILLED
Delawareans Asked to Stop Calling; Next Phase of Clinics to be Announced When More Vaccine Arrives
As of 2:20 p.m. today, Delaware's Division of Public Health (DPH) filled the 4,250 flu vaccination appointments reserved for New Castle County residents. The 3,400 appointments for Kent and Sussex County residents were filled Monday by 12:20 p.m.
DPH is operating a call center at the DPH Emergency Preparedness Training Room in the Blue Hen Corporate Center.
By noon today, the call center received 2721 calls and answered 98.1 percent of them. DPH staff logged 50 as hang-ups.
To receive an influenza vaccination appointment, callers had to live or attend school in Delaware and be:
- Age 65 or older;
- Age 9-64 with underlying chronic health conditions;
- Women who will be pregnant during the influenza season, which is October 2004-February 2005; or
- Age 9-18 years and on chronic aspirin therapy.
When attending the Nov. 19 clinic, individuals must bring identification, proof that they live or attend school in Delaware, and their Medicare card, if applicable.
To date, DPH has received a total of 12,000 doses of flu vaccine. Four thousand doses were distributed to long-term care facilities. The remaining 7,650 have been allocated today and yesterday for distribution at the Nov. 19 clinics. The portions reserved for each county - 16 percent in Kent County, 30 percent for Sussex County, and 54 percent for New Castle County - were based on the county's population of residents age 65 and older.
An additional 34,000 doses are scheduled to be delivered to DPH within the next few weeks. A plan for distributing those doses is not yet final, but DPH will announce that information as soon as it is available.
Division of Public Health customers should know that some clinics in DPH will have limited services on Friday, Nov. 19, 2004 while we administer the flu vaccines. Please call the site for more information.
Delaware Health and Social Services is committed to improving the quality of the lives of Delaware's citizens by promoting health and well-being, fostering self-sufficiency, and protecting vulnerable populations.
