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The governor's recommendation is in
response to warnings from his director of public health, Dr. Eric E.
Whitaker, that a flu outbreak could be especially severe this year,
given the unusually low number of individuals vaccinated, both low-
and high-risk, due to the shortage. In an average year with normal
vaccination patterns, approximately 3,000 Illinoisans die from
influenza and pneumonia.
"Since the flu vaccine shortage began,
hundreds of thousands of people in Illinois who normally get flu
shots have held back to make sure those who needed it most could get
it," the governor said. "Unfortunately, that means more people are
vulnerable to the virus than in a normal year -- including many who
are elderly and have chronic illnesses. We want to make sure people
who need protection get it, so that when the flu season hits in full
force, the impact on our citizens is as minimal as possible. Several
months of the flu season remain and we have yet to hit the peak, so
we need to remain vigilant in taking precautions against spreading
the flu virus. Our top priority is still to reach the sick, elderly
and very young who have not yet gotten their shots. But we also want
to provide the vaccine to people 50 years of age and older and those
who live with people in the high-risk categories, so we can prevent
a dangerous outbreak this winter."
After it was announced in October that the
nation faced a severe vaccine shortage, Gov. Blagojevich instructed
the Department of Public Health to follow CDC recommendations and
asked health care providers to use all available supplies to
vaccinate those at the highest risk of severe disease or death.
Health officials have reported that many individuals eligible for
flu shots did not get a vaccine due to reports of the shortage, long
lines or to step aside for others who were at greater risk.
"Some people may think they are not eligible
for flu vaccine because they don't live in a nursing home or aren't
confined to a hospital bed," Dr. Whitaker said. "They're wrong.
Through the steps we are taking, we hope to reach people who were
eligible before but didn't know it, as well as many people who live
and work with those at the highest risk."
Soon after news of the vaccine shortage, the
governor sought additional flu vaccine from Europe to ensure
Illinois would have an adequate supply to protect its most
vulnerable citizens. His administration located nearly 300,000 doses
of flu vaccine made in Germany and France that could be shipped to
Illinois for distribution immediately upon approval from the Food
and Drug Administration. On Wednesday, the governor reiterated the
need for additional vaccine supplies.
"Fewer than half of the people in Illinois who
are usually protected against the flu have gotten vaccines this
year," the governor said. "That means a mild outbreak could quickly
become severe. We need additional vaccine soon before flu activity
peaks. We have been working with the FDA for more than two months to
give them all relevant information about the vaccine from Europe
they need to approve our request. And while they've given their
counterparts in the federal Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention the green light to import vaccine from Germany, they've
dragged their feet on the Illinois request. The risk is far too
great for them to continue this waiting game."
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As restrictions on vaccine are loosened, Dr.
Whitaker said it will be up to each of the state's 95 local health
departments to determine if they have sufficient supplies of the
vaccine to expand the eligibility requirements.
The Department of
Public Health encourages individuals in the following groups to
contact their health care provider or local health department about
obtaining a flu shot:
- Children ages 6 months to 23 months.
- People 50 years of age and older.
- People 2 to 64 years of age with underlying
medical conditions.
- Pregnant women.
- Residents of long-term care facilities.
- Children ages 6 months to 18 years who are
on long-term aspirin therapy.
- Household contacts of anyone in the
priority groups.
- Health care workers providing direct
patient care.
- Out-of-home caregivers and household
contacts of children younger than 6 months of age.
Eligibility under the Vaccines for Children
program has also been expanded to include eligible children who are
household contacts of people in high-risk groups. Children who are
eligible for the vaccine under this program include those 18 years
or younger, eligible for Medicaid, uninsured, or Native American or
Alaskan native. The eligibility expansion is effective immediately.
Influenza, commonly called the flu, is caused
by viruses that infect the respiratory tract and spread from person
to person when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Flu symptoms
include fever (usually 100 degrees F in adults and often higher in
children), dry cough, runny or stuffy nose, headache, muscle aches,
and extreme fatigue.
After a person is infected with the virus,
symptoms usually appear within one to four days. The infection is
considered contagious for up to five days after symptoms appear, and
illness usually lingers for a week or two. Each year, an estimated
10 percent to 20 percent of the population contracts influenza.
[News release from the
governor's office]
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