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Skagit County residents will have to wait a little longer or travel a littler farther to get their H1N1 vaccines.
The expected large supply of nasal spray and injectable vaccine did not arrive Friday, and Health Director Peter Browning said he doesn’t know when it will come.
“Now we’re starting to wonder if we’re even going to get it Monday,” Browning said.
He said supplies related to the vaccines arrived Friday, but the actual vaccines did not, despite shipments arriving in nearby Snohomish County.
Browning said the state health department sent a shipment notice, so he knows it’s coming and that it’s the largest supply the county has received so far.
The department ran out of nasal spray at midweek and the injectable vaccine on Friday. Volunteers at the department turned away many people who came through the door Friday and put signs on the doors stating that they had no more vaccine.
When the department does receive its supply, it will be distributing the nasal spray — containing a live, weakened form of the virus — to all healthy persons ages 2 to 49 and the injectable virus to children and young adults 6 months to 24 years old, health care and emergency workers, household contacts of infants up to 6 months and pregnant women.
Gov. Chris Gregoire announced that states will be receiving the remaining supplies of antiviral medications to help kids fight H1N1 if they catch it.
The Obama Administration notified states that the remaining 300,000 bottles of Tamiflu would be shipped to states next week.
Snohomish County will begin flu clinics Saturday, distributing 28,000 doses to pregnant women, anyone ages 6 months to 24 years, caregiver contacts of children younger than 6 months, teachers and professional child-care providers, health care and emergency workers and people ages 25 to 64 who have chronic medical conditions.
Those flu clinics are being held at 10 different locations across Snohomish County, and Skagit County residents meeting that county’s criteria can get the vaccine there. For more information, visit http://www.scnocoflu.com.
• Aaron Burkhalter can be reached at 360-416-2141 or .
