The H1N1 vaccine supply and distribution nationally has been well short of what was initially predicted. University Health Services (UHS) received an initial shipment of 2,500 doses of H1N1 vaccine and still has vaccine available for students.

Initial vaccination efforts have targeted campus health care workers including health professional students with direct patient care, influenza researchers, student hospital volunteers, care givers for infants less than 6 months old, students with high-risk medical conditions and pregnant students. The State Health Department issued new guidelines recently that available vaccine should be utilized for the following priority groups:

• Pregnant women
• Persons who live with or provide care for children aged less than 6 months (e.g., parents, siblings and daycare providers)
• Healthcare and emergency medical services personnel who have direct contact with patients or infectious material
• Children aged 6 months through 4 years, and
• Children and adolescents aged 5-18 years who have chronic medical conditions.

Based upon this recommendation, UHS has suspended wide-spread promotion of vaccination for students and is redistributing some remaining vaccine through Public Health Madison Dane County as requested. UHS has also cancelled its first large-scale student vaccine clinic scheduled for November 3. They will let us know about future plans as the situation continues to develop.

H1N1 vaccine for faculty, staff, graduate students, postdocs, etc. may be available the week of December 7, although these groups are not considered high priority. Everything will come down to availability of the vaccine.