Nov. 20, 2000--
Thirty- thousand flu shots are now available to people in Utah considered "high risk" individuals.
Intermountain Health Care had planned on using the vaccines for members of its health plan.
A nationwide shortage of flu vaccine means Utah state and county health departments have had a hard time getting the vaccine, and that has left many high-risk people without the shot.
So
today I.H.C. announced it will redirect its 30,000 flu shots to those individuals the state considers as high-risk for contracting the disease.
They are:
- Nursing home or institutionalized patients
- Persons older than 6 months with chronic diseases or immunosuppression
- Anyone 65 and older
- Pregnant women in 2nd or 3rd trimester
- Direct patient care providers
If you're considered high risk, you can get a flu shot at an I.H.C. clinic, or at eleven special community clinics that have been set up for this purpose.
Persons covered by Medicare or Medicaid must bring their card to the clinic and their insurance will be billed. All other people must pay $15 at the time of the shot. Their insurance may or may not reimburse them for the shot.
List of Flu Shot Clinics
Health care providers hope that more doses of flu vaccine will become available later in the year.
According to I.H.C., it takes about two weeks after receiving the shot to get maximum protection from the vaccination. January and February are typically the peak months for influenza. So getting a shot in late December should still protect most people.
