Queens Seniors Brace For Flu Epidemic

The health care system in Queens turned chaotic last week as doctors, hospitals, nursing homes and patients raced against a winter deadline to obtain vaccine to head off the A/Panama flu.
Despite the shortage of vaccine nationwide, the sponsors of the first Annual Queens Flu Immunization Program (FAQFIP) plan to offer flu shots for those 65 and older and children with a chronic disease on Nov. 15.
The program is a collaboration between the Borough Presidents Office, the New York City Department of Health and Queens hospitals. The American Lung Association (ALA) of Queens is serving as FAQFIP coordinator.
Arthur Maker, executive director of the ALA, was confident that the vaccine shots would be distributed on schedule. He said the coalition is the only one in the city to be formed to make flu vaccine available.
The first flu shot recipient is scheduled to be Borough President Claire Shulman. She will receive her flu shot on Nov. 15, along with about 100 senior citizens at the Pomonok Senior Center.
Maker said officials at The New York Hospital Medical Center of Queens had obtained supplies of the vaccine from a private vendor and would assist in the borough-wide effort.
Meanwhile, hospital pharmacists were angry about the late deliveries necessitated by a manufacturing glitch at Wyeth Laboratories in Pennsylvania.
Anthony Marra, director of the Pharmacy Department at Peninsula Hospital Center in Far Rockaway, said that many physicians had obtained flu vaccine from private sources in England ahead of hospitals, senior centers and nursing homes in Queens.
A spokesperson for the Queens County Medical Society said that "phones have been ringing off the hook" from doctors lacking vaccine.
"We had to tell them we dont have a source," she said. "But we understand that some of the 1,800 Society members received shipments because they "pre-ordered" a year ago.
Federal health officials sought to speed up deliveries of the vaccine. They appealed to large drug chains which had managed to secure millions of doses of vaccine ahead of hospitals and nursing homes to share some of their supply with local hospitals in need.
"Its first come, first served," said Ross Fraser, public information officer for the American Medical Association (AMA)."It all depends upon when you placed your order."
The AMAs president-elect Dr. Richard F. Corlin issued a statement last week condemning some distributors of the influenza vaccine for significantly raising their prices during the temporary delay in fulfilling orders for the vaccine.
"The AMA strongly condemns this practice," he said. "Medical price gouging is unethical and threatens the health of those who need the vaccination most."
He pointed to at-risk patients over 65 and those suffering from chronic or debilitating illnesses or women in their second or third trimester of pregnancy.
Audrey Ashby, a spokesperson for Wyeth Labs, the manufacturer, said that the first batch of one million doses had been shipped late last week. She promised that a second shipment of 24 million doses would be delivered by mid-December "in plenty of time for the flu season."
She explained that there were two problems that led to the disarray in the vaccine. In one case, the manufacturer found that the compound has a lower than normal production yield than other virus strains. In addition, Wyeth ran into difficulties when the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had compliance concerns with the product in its Marietta, Pennsylvania plant.
"There is no anticipated long-term shortage of the vaccine, simply a delay," she said.
Neighborhood druggists are experiencing delays in receipt of the vaccine. Some pharmacies posted signs saying they had no vaccine.
One pharmacist, Joel Heller, owner of Harpell Chemists at 12-65 150 St. in Whitestone, said he would be offering the vaccine on Nov. 18. He said the vaccine would be offered free to patients with Medicare Part B and $15 to others. The shots are scheduled to be given from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.