Health Care Providers Have New
Opportunity To Order Influenza Vaccine
(Santa Ana) – Health care providers in Orange County and around the
United States now have the opportunity to order influenza vaccine directly
from the manufacturer, with the option of returning unused vaccine for a
credit.
The changes announced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) and the California Department of Health Services are designed to
encourage health care providers to order and make available to their
patients the estimated 3.1 million doses of flu vaccine still available to
protect individuals this season. Since there are indications that influenza
has not yet peaked in California, it is not too late to receive a flu shot
and the vaccine is now available to people of all ages following the lifting
of previous restrictions based on age and health factors.
Health care providers interested in ordering additional flu vaccine
through sanofi pasteur (formerly known as Aventis Pasteur) can log on to
www.VaccineShoppe.com or call 1-800-VACCINE (1-800-822-2463). Providers may
return unused vaccine for a credit and will have financial responsibility
for return shipping costs only.
The Federal government has also released for general use the influenza
vaccine that had been reserved for the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program,
since it appears there is a surplus of vaccine available for children. In
Orange County, the VFC vaccine will be used to supplement vaccine that is
still available through the county’s Public Health Clinics.
Individuals in Orange County who want to receive a flu shot are asked to
first check with their private physician. If your doctor or clinic does not
have flu vaccine available, call the Health Care Agency’s Health Referral
Line at (800) 564-8448 for assistance.
To help prevent the spread of respiratory illnesses, Orange County
residents are urged to:
- Cover their mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing.
- Wash their hands with soap and warm water or a hand sanitizer to
help protect themselves from germs.
- Avoid touching their eyes, nose or mouth.
- Stay healthy by eating nutritious foods, drinking plenty of water,
exercising, getting plenty of rest and not smoking.
- Stay home when they are sick to avoid infecting their co-workers and
friends.
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