Inmates should be the last to get shots

November 13, 2009

Anonymous The Goshen News Fri Nov 13, 2009, 10:51 AM EST

I’m outraged and disgusted that our county health department has chosen to send 220 doses of the H1N1 injectable vaccine to the county jail. Inmates should not be getting vaccinated until all of the schools have received it and the target groups have more opportunity to receive it. Inmates should be last on the priority list.

The public should be demanding an investigation into the health department’s management of the vaccinations and who ultimately is responsible for this decision.

There was a flu clinic Nov. 4, but only the nasal spray was offered, I assume because the injectable vaccine went to the jail! Pregnant women and people with underlying medical conditions cannot have the nasal spray. While 220 doses may not be a huge number, it is when there is a shortage of the vaccine. Inmates don’t have to worry about job security if they get sick. Those 220 doses could have gone to the hospitals for patients with high risk medical conditions.

As far as the scheduling goes for vaccinating the students, I do not understand why high school students are being vaccinated first, and then middle school students, leaving elementary school students for last. This is a huge mistake. Elementary students are more likely to get sick and more likely to spread the virus at a faster rate. Most other cities across the country are scheduling their clinics with elementary schools going first and high schools last. There are two good reasons for this: 1.) Younger children are at higher risk. 2.) Children younger than 9 must get two doses of the vaccine spaced four weeks apart. After the second shot, it takes an additional two weeks for a child to build up their immunity to the H1N1 flu. By the time our elementary students are ready for the second vaccine, they’ll be on winter vacation.

The bottom line is our county health department has made the vaccination shortage worse with poor judgment. I understand we have to be patient with the shortage, but that is no excuse for bad management of the limited supply received thus far.

I have several friends and family members who are either pregnant or have a serious high-risk medical condition and have been unable to get vaccinated. Regardless if the jail has people in the target population, they should be put at the very bottom of the priority list.

— Bryen Miller

Elkhart

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Inmates should be the last to get shots

The Goshen Housing Authority has a $571,050 shortfall. Should the Goshen City Council use money from its $4.7-million “rainy day” fund to pay the debt and maintain the current level of service provided by the voucher program?

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