By Staff
The supply of H1N1 vaccines is currently low, but there will be enough to go around — we just have to be patient.
In the meantime, we, along with health officials, urge Escambia County residents not to go to the health department office today to get a vaccine unless you are part of one of the high-risk groups — pregnant women; children age 6 months to 4 years; parents, caregivers and siblings of children 6 months and younger; children 5 to 18 years old with underlying medical conditions; and health care workers.
Many of us want a chance to be vaccinated against this latest strain of flu, which appeared last spring and has spread quickly this fall.
But those people in the high risk groups deserve to receive the vaccine first. This disease is not as serious as we originally thought it might be last spring, but it has shown itself to be particularly dangerous for young people, and especially for pregnant women — and their unborn children.
Anyone choosing to stand in line today to get a shot when they are not part of those high-risk groups could be taking the vaccine away from someone who needs it more.
Gov. Bob Riley reminded all of us on Tuesday that we need to take responsibility for ourselves. That means remembering the simple guidelines to stop the spread of the disease — washing hands, covering your mouth when you cough; staying home when you are sick — but it also means being responsible about the vaccine and its current supply.
We will all have the chance to be vaccinated, and we all should be vaccinated against this disease — but all in due time.