County health issues are at fever pitch

Counties join together to acquire flu vaccine

By CHUCK SMITH

Area counties continue to cooperate on getting the most flu vaccine possible to as many patrons as possible, Barton County Health Department Director Lily Akings told the Barton County Commission Monday.

Akings told commissioners her department has access to 250 doses of seasonal flu vaccine from Pawnee County and will receive another 500 doses in a future order.

Also, she explained, Barton County is ordering H1N1 vaccine with Pawnee, Stafford and Rice counties because each of them did not have large enough orders to place on their own.

She expects the first 100 doses of H1N1 vaccine toward the end of this week and that will be used for select health-care professionals and emergency medical service staffers, to make sure that the health providers will be available to care for others.

Akings and her staff are already tracking signs of flu and reporting to state officials.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment is seeking input from public schools with absence rates over 10 percent. Great Bend USD 428 has already reported one school that hit 17 percent, Akings noted.

“We have a fair number (of flu victims) in the city of Great Bend,” she said, adding there are lower numbers in the rest of the county.

Immunization efforts were recognized by the commissioners during their meeting Monday when they approved the recognition of Melissa Hagerman, of the Health Department, for her work on an immunization program.

Employee Relations Committee Chair Pam Wornkey explained Hagerman, a Registered Nurse at the Health Department, worked with KDHE to bring the Bee Wise Immunize mascot here during this year’s grade school enrollment. There were special activities during the event.