John, I am disappointed in the article from about the health department and flu vaccines, especially the negative headline [The Citizen, Sept. 27, 2006]. What you wrote is inaccurate, outdated, and I did not provide you with hardly any of that information. I simply wanted you to let the public know that we would notify everyone as soon as we had enough flu vaccine available to start our flu clinics. So much for even trying.

1. Last year (2005-2006 season), the state of Georgia did not take over distribution of vaccine to the county health departments. The vaccine was ordered by individual health departments and paid for by the health departments as in years past without any third party intervention.

There were some problems with other health departments within our district (which is a 12-county area) receiving their shipments in a timely manner. We loaned vaccine to one of these health departments in order to help them vaccinate people who were at higher risk of developing complications from influenza, and who therefore needed to receive the vaccine during the month of October.

2. During the previous season (2004-2005), the critical shortage of flu vaccine occurred in the United States. Even though we had received everything we had ordered in a timely manner, due to the fact that we had ordered it from the manufacturer that did not have the contamination issues, we were nevertheless directed to redistribute the vaccine, so that it could be administered more equitably among citizens who were at higher risk of developing severe health complications from influenza.

We worked with HIV clinics, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and other high-risk groups to try to ensure that these citizens received flu vaccine in spite of the critical shortage at that time.

If you want more detailed information about that season, you would need to contact Cynthia Grant, our former county nurse manager.

3. Pregnant women during any trimester (not just beyond their first trimester as you stated) are recommended to receive the flu vaccine, and that recommendation has been in place since last flu season. I have attached information regarding annual flu vaccination recommendations for the current season. Why didn’t you ask me for that information before you went to press?

In the future, I would appreciate verification from you regarding health department information before you go to press. Please call me or Peggy Berry at the health department.

Carolyn Callison, RN, BSN
County Nurse Manager
Fayette County Health Department
Fayetteville, Ga.

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