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Thursday, March 24, 2005 - 9:05 AM
82

With a Little Help From Our Friends II: Partnerships and the Flu Vaccine Redistribution Effort, 2004-2005

Kathleen W. Gustafson1, Jennifer Danzig2, Jan Campana1, Sue Hunt1, and Wilma J. Wooten3. (1) San Diego County Immunization Program, County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency, PO Box 85222, Mail Stop P511B, 3851 Rosecrans Street, San Diego, CA, USA, (2) Community Health Improvement Partners (CHIP), 707 Broadway Suite 905, San Diego, CA, USA, (3) Health and Human Services Agency, Public Health Services, County of San Diego, 1700 Pacific Highway, Room 301, M.S. P-511A, P.O. Box 85222, San Diego, CA, USA


BACKGROUND:
Two community coalitions, the San Diego Immunization Initiative (I-3) and the Community Health Improvement Partners (CHIP), have collaborated for more than seven years to promote adult immunizations in San Diego County. The major focus of this partnership is the annual flu campaign. During the flu season, CHIP supports a County-based flu hotline and operates a website to help the public find flu shots. For several years it has also offered a web-based program to permit providers to exchange vaccine. Member organizations and partners offer flu vaccine at a variety of intramural and extramural sites in the community.

OBJECTIVE:
Effectively utilize this and other established local partnerships in redistributing vaccines and providing support to providers and the community during the 2004-2005 flu vaccine shortage.

METHOD:
Expand the capacity of the Flu Hotline. Coordinate messages to the public and media to provide clear, accurate and up-to-date information. Utilize the resources of the county's Flu Capacity Task Force in facilitating distribution. Expand the capacity of CHIP's vaccine exchange to effectively manage reallocation of available vaccine to best reach high-priority populations. Enlist I-3 partners to distribute updated messages.

RESULT:
By mid-November over 12,000 doses of vaccine were voluntarily reallocated to reach priority recipients, and CHIP had facilitated 21 community flu clinics administering between 200 and 4,000 doses to high-risk populations. The Flu Hotline had answered over 30,000 calls, and community and public health clinics had delivered nearly 60,000 doses of State funded vaccines without significant complaints of unfairness or poor practices.

CONCLUSION:
Existing partnerships can be an effective and measurable resource in times of crisis.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
Describe the rapid planning processes used to expand the capacity of existing partnerships during the flu shortage.
Review the network of agencies and organizations implemented to manage vaccine redistribution in one community.


Web Page: www.immunization-sd.org (or) www.sdchip.org

See more of Adult Immunization Track Workshop: State and Local Approaches to the 2004 Influenza Vaccine Supply Shortage
See more of The 39th National Immunization Conference (NIC)