Flu Vaccine Campaign Delayed As Serum Shortages Grip Borough

Twenty of 31 hospitals and health centers in Queens identified by city and borough officials as sources for seniors seeking free doses of flu vaccine have no serum, The Queens Courier learned exclusively last week.
The listing of flu immunization centers were distributed to the press last week by a coalition of Queens hospitals, the Borough Presidents office, the American Lung Association (ALA) of Queens and the New York City Department of Health.
The Courier called all 31 of the designated Queens flu vaccine centers and learned that 20 of them either have no vaccine, have exhausted their supplies or had no idea when the serum will be available.
The First Annual Queens Flu Immunization Program, coordinated by the ALA, listed centers borough-wide with  phone numbers, and date and time of vaccinations.  The listing was disseminated widely in the borough. The distribution was undertaken to expedite doses of the vaccine during a period of national shortage. 
According to Arthur Makar, president of the ALA of Queens, the original press kit materials were written in August.  He said that he was doing his best to try to make this work.
I dont have any vaccine in my house you know, he said.
Makars organization took advertisements in newspapers listing the names and phone numbers of participating hospitals and senior centers. He noted that individuals were asked in the ad to call to make an appointment before going directly to the facility.
We are aware that the flu vaccine supply is slower arriving than originally planned, Makar said.  That is why participating sites are requesting those persons wishing to be immunized schedule an appointment.  By doing so, if a vaccine supply is late arriving, flu immunizations will be rescheduled to accommodate vaccine delivery.
Makar said last summer the U.S. Centers for Disease Control asked that hospitals and community organizations come together in order to maximize their efficiency in dealing with a late vaccine supply.  He added that this was the impetus behind the First Annual Queens Flu Immunization campaign.
Makar concluded that while we cannot control the delivery of flu vaccine from external sources, we are working toward redistributing what flu vaccine we do have as quickly, fairly and efficiently as possible.
Dan Andrews, press spokesperson for Borough Hall, acknowledged that those seeking flu shots may be running into vaccine shortages.
Told that a high proportion of the centers said they were out of vaccine, he said, maybe theyre phrasing it wrong and may be getting more vaccine.
Were trying to front load the high-risk groups, he said.  There is a shortage question here.
Andrews said the pediatric program at New York Hospital Medical Center of Queens has inoculated 1,000 children against the flu. 
One provider, Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, acknowledged it had no vaccine in any of its MediSys units throughout Queens.
I wish we did have a supply, said Michael Hincks, a press spokesperson for the Hospital.
Many health providers said they could only accommodate their patients.
Dario Centorelli, public relations director of Queens Hospital Center and Elmhurst General Hospital, said vaccine was in short supply.
We only can give shots to our own patients, he said.   I was very concerned after returning from my honeymoon and finding us listed as offering vaccine. I tried to prevent the issuance of that material, but was unsuccessful.
His hospitals were pulled from the advertisement.
One health worker at Queens Hospital Centers Waltham Medical Center in Jamaica said, there is no more left.  Havent you heard theres a shortage?
That unit was scheduled to give inoculations on Nov. 20, the date The Courier called.
There were reports that the City Health Departments supply  of vaccine had run out.  Repeated attempts to reach the Department were unsuccessful.
At a crowded news conference at the Pomonok Senior Center on Nov. 15, Borough President Claire Shulman,  Makar,  of the ALA of Queens and City Health Commissioner Dr. Neal L. Cohen, kicked off the borough-wide flu vaccine distribution at dozens of hospitals and senior citizen centers.
The speakers were fulsome in their praise of the organizers of the First Annual Queens Flu Immunization Program and its goal of making influenza shots available to the elderly and those at risk.
Dozens of photographers jockeyed for position at the event to get a picture of Shulman being inoculated by a nurse a symbolic act designed to encourage a turnout of seniors at sites throughout Queens.
This is the first time the hospital community has joined  in a coordinated effort to immunize the Queens population, said Bernard Solow, president of the local chapter of the American Lung Association.
Just a day after  the media event, Health Commissioner Cohen announced that vaccine supplies appeared to be dwindling.  He appealed to New York City corporations to share their cache of vaccine with those who are at highest risk from complications from the flu.
I urge employers with flu vaccine supplies intended for healthy workers to join the Health Department  in an effort to help improve the health outlook of vulnerable New Yorkers.
Cohen said in order to ensure that nursing home residents are immunized, the Department will make more than 14,000 doses available to nursing home residents, but called for help from the corporate community. One health expert said that despite the current problem, people should not panic, and the situation will eventually be solved.
Earlier, the American Medical Association (AMA), charged that some vaccine manufacturers were price gouging by driving up the cost of the scarce vaccine.
Other reports claimed that large drug chains had cornered the vaccine market.  Health officials asked the chains to share their supplies with nursing homes and hospitals in need.
The Nov. 15 announcement at the Pomonok Senior Center had been scheduled earlier, but  the nationwide shortage of vaccine for A Panama flu forced a postponement. 
Some of the comments given to The Courier  by would-be providers of the vaccine included:
No supplies yet.  Maybe by the end of the month, said a health worker with Elmhurst General Hospital.  The vaccine was scheduled to be distributed on Nov. 20.
We have no vaccine but expect it the first week of December, said a health worker with St. Johns Queens Family Health Center of the St. Vincents Catholic Medical Centers.
That unit was due to inoculate seniors on Nov. 20.
At. St. Dominicks Family Health Center of the St. Vincents Catholic Medical Centers in Jamaica, a representative said The vaccine isnt in yet.  I understand the Health Department is out of vaccine.
St. Dominicks was scheduled to give the shots from Dec. 4-8.
Jamaica Hospital/MediSys in Ozone Park reported the vaccine was due in today (Nov.  20), but were not going to get it  at all.
The news from Springfield Gardens was no better.  The Jamaica Hospital unit there said this is a citywide problem.  We dont know when were going to get it.
Information on dates and times can be found on the website of the ALA (www.lungusa.org/Queens).