Montgomery County cancels seasonal flu clinics

Levittown - Because drug manufacturers switched their focus to swine flu vaccine, Montgomery County only received 4,000 doses of seasonal flu vaccine. All of those doses have been distributed.

Montgomery County announced Thursday it is canceling all future scheduled free seasonal flu inoculation community clinics until further notice.

The announcement comes on the heels of a clinic held Thursday in Norristown where health department officials had to turn residents away after running out of injectable flu vaccine.

The health department gave out more than 705 doses of the vaccine, both in injectable form and flu mist, at the clinic before it had to shut the doors about an hour before closing time, according to department spokeswoman Harriet Morton.

Only children and adults between the ages of two to 49 are eligible for the flu mist. The injectable vaccine is recommended for the remaining population including pregnant women, those with chronic diseases, children under the age of two and adults older than 49, said Morton.

The county this year ordered 6,000 doses of the injectable vaccine, the same amount it has ordered in past years.

However, because drug manufacturers have switched their focus to the creation and distribution of swine flu vaccine, Montgomery County only received 4,000 doses of the seasonal flu vaccine. All of those doses have now been distributed, said Morton.

Because of the delivery problems, the county this year had to cancel three prior clinics and five upcoming clinics. A total of 14 clinics initially had been scheduled.

To date, there have been no confirmed cases of the seasonal flu in Montgomery County.

The public can visit the health department's Web site at www.health.montcopa.org for up-to-date revisions and schedulings of community clinics for the distribution of vaccine for both the seasonal flu and the swine flu.

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