Issuing of vaccine being worked out

The Carson City Health Department is preparing for the possible fall release of a swine flu vaccine undergoing clinical studies right now, an official said.

Dustin Boothe, epidemiologist with the Carson City Health Department, said if all goes as hoped, a vaccine will be available by mid-October or mid-November.

To get the vaccine to the public even by late October, several labs and companies have been rushing to develop and test formulations. The results of human trials are not expected before early September.

Federal health officials hope that the country's six manufacturers will be able to create 140 million doses of the vaccine. That number would provide each state with enough vaccine to immunize 40 percent of its population, said Boothe.

"Obviously we've been doing pandemic influenza planning. It's of concern when a novel virus goes around," he said.

In the week ending July 25, 11 new cases cropped up in Carson City alone.

During the week ending July 13, there were eight new cases, and the weeks ending July 4 and June 27 each saw five new cases, said Boothe.

On July 25 the total number of positive cases of swine flu in Carson City was estimated at 51. The new numbers will be released Monday, said Boothe.

Across the world, the virus has sickened almost 45,000 and killed more than 300 in the United States since spring. Those numbers are only confirmed cases. The true number of people affected is much higher, experts suspect.

In Carson City, Boothe said, only one person has been hospitalized with the swine flu and has since recovered.

"Right now the biggest population that the novel virus has been hitting has been basically people 0-24 years of age, and that's been very consistent with what we've been seeing locally with the seasonal flu," he said.

Boothe said because of the public's concern about the swine flu, known as H1N1, the Carson City Health Department is figuring the logistics of servicing more people than the average 3,000 that come out to flu clinics for seasonal flu shots.

"We're predicting that we are going to have a big response for immunizations for both seasonal influenza and H1N1," said Boothe.

In addition to an increased number of people looking for a vaccination, said Boothe, the health department's plan must also include a way to recontact each person immunized, since this shot may require two vaccinations 28 days apart.