Still time to be immunized against seasonal flu
In recent days, there have been several news accounts of the delay in the availability of the H1N1 flu vaccine. In addition, many in our community have been unable to receive their seasonal flu shot, either at their physician's office or at a local site. This shortage of the seasonal vaccine is not limited to any one health care provider, or confined to any select town or county. It is, in fact, a widespread shortage that has impacted health care providers across New Jersey and the country. Because of the VNA of Central Jersey's unique role in meeting the need for flu vaccines each year, I wanted to share with you what has happened to our agency in this regard and what we're doing to meet the needs of families and individuals across New Jersey.

Each fall, between October and January, VNACJ provides both seasonal flu and pneumonia immunizations to our homebound patients, our staff and the community at large. We offer walk-in flu shots at more than 300 locations throughout New Jersey, including large corporate sites, local businesses, schools and places of worship. In addition, we have historically provided local and county health offices who offer flu vaccines with the nursing assistance they require at dozens of additional locations.

We prepare for this annual effort by ordering tens of thousands of doses of seasonal flu vaccine over the summer. We did so again this year, using multiple suppliers. In late September, we were notified that the full extent of our order would not be available due to an unanticipated shortage. While some who offer flu shots have received many of the doses they requested, others such as the VNACJ have received only a small percentage to date. A significant reason for this nationwide backlog, we have been told, is the simultaneous production of the H1N1 vaccine.

Our agency has made, and continues to make, every effort to vaccinate as many at-risk individuals as possible. While we have had to cancel or postpone several scheduled events, we are continuing to provide flu shots as doses become available. Despite the shortage, we have administered thousands of shots at over 200 sites across Central Jersey. We remain in daily communication with our current suppliers and the state of New Jersey in hopes of securing additional doses.

It is important to know that in the majority of instances, there is still plenty of time to be immunized against the seasonal flu. In New Jersey, seasonal influenza typically occurs anytime between October and early April, with the peak season being January and February. The Centers for Disease Control advises that October and November are the best times to get immunized, but getting the vaccine up through March can also offer protection.

Our flu shot hotline contains regular updates on seasonal flu and H1N1 information and vaccine availability. We encourage you to call the VNACJ flu hotline at 732- 224-6985 or visit our website at www.vnacj.org for the latest updates.
Mary Ann Christopher
President and CEO
VNA of Central Jersey
Red Bank