Flu Vaccinations

[Sea Aggie]

ALCOASTs 414/09 and 528/09 require 100% vaccination for both seasonal and H1N1 flu (respectively) by 01Dec09. I recently received the seasonal flu vaccine from my civilian employer, but nothing from the Coast Guard.

Considering many of us will have only one more drill weekend before the deadline and still no vaccine available for reserve members (that I'm aware of); does anyone think that we will even come close to this requirement?

Have the active duty folks received either/both of these vaccines?

[RedneckBudDrinker]

I havent received either of them yet. Not sure what the hold up is for the seasonal flu. They can keep the H1N1 vacination though.

[rgreidanus]

Here in Savannah, our local HS's vacinated both active and reserves for the season flu. We were told that the H1N1 vacine in still coming.

[Sharky]

Morgan City - seasonal flu for active and reserves. Standing by for H1N1.

[eggman564]

In SD we received the seasonal. No eta on H1N1. HS told us that we can receive H1n1 vaccine from civilian provider and provide paperwork to the clinic.

[Sea Aggie]

Originally Posted by eggman564

In SD we received the seasonal. No eta on H1N1. HS told us that we can receive H1n1 vaccine from civilian provider and provide paperwork to the clinic.

I was able to do that with the seasonal at MY OWN EXPENSE (still not sure if it was entered into the USCG system), but h1n1 is not available due to rationing. So unless you are in a "high risk" group, don't count on being able to get the h1n1 shot out in the real world; especially by the Coast Guard's deadline of Dec 1. The President's emergency declaration over the weekend will make it even harder to get the vaccine as "Joe Citizen" rather than "Joe Coastie".

Stand by to stand by.

[RedneckBudDrinker]

ALCOAST 611/09
COMDTNOTE 6010
SUBJ: H1N1 INFLUENZA PREVENTIVE MEDICINE UPDATE
A. COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC 061543Z OCT 09 ALCOAST 582/09
B. CG PANDEMIC INFLUENZA FORCE HEALTH PROTECTION POLICY,
COMDTINST M6220.12 (SERIES)
1. THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES RECENTLY
ANNOUNCED THAT THE SUPPLY OF THE 2009 NOVEL H1N1 INFLUENZA
VACCINE MAY BE DELAYED UNTIL MID-NOVEMBER. CURRENTLY, OVER
20 PERCENT OF SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN ARE REPORTED TO RECENTLY HAVE
HAD INFLUENZA LIKE ILLNESS (ILI) AND THE NOVEL H1N1 PANDEMIC IS
CONTINUING TO SPREAD.
2. THE NOVEL H1N1 INFLUENZA VACCINE IS MANDATORY FOR ALL
COAST GUARD (CG) ACTIVE DUTY (AD) AND SELECTED RESERVE (SELRES)
MEMBERS WHEN THE VACCINE BECOMES AVAILABLE PER REFERENCE
(A). ADDITIONALLY, THE VACCINE, WHEN AVAILABLE AND AS RESOURCES
PERMIT, MAY BE OFFERED BY CG CLINICS TO ALL ELIGIBLE AD
BENEFICIARIES AND CG CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES. CG CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES,
FAMILY MEMBERS AND CONTRACTED PERSONNEL ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO
SEEK EARLIEST NOVEL H1N1 INFLUENZA IMMUNIZATION THROUGH LOCAL
PUBLIC HEALTH PROGRAMS OR THEIR OWN HEALTHCARE PROVIDER.
3. COMMANDS MUST ENSURE THAT THERE ARE ONGOING MITIGATION
MEASURES IN PLACE INCLUDING SOCIAL DISTANCING, FREQUENT
HANDWASHING, AND ADHERENCE TO COUGH AND SNEEZE ETIQUETTE
AS DESCRIBED IN REFERENCE (B). FOR MORE INFORMATION ON NOVEL
H1N1 INFLUENZA AND PREVENTIVE MEASURES GO TO THE CENTERS
FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION (CDC) WEBSITE AT
HTTP://WWW.CDC.GOV/H1N1FLU. FOR COAST GUARD H1N1 INFLUENZA
INFORMATION GO TO HTTPS://CGPORTAL.USCG***** OR
HTTP://WWW.USCG*****/H1N1.
4. PERSONS WITH FEVER AND SORE THROAT OR COUGH SHOULD STAY
HOME UNTIL FREE OF FEVER FOR AT LEAST 24 HOURS WITHOUT THE
USE OF FEVER MEDICATIONS.
5. PER FLU.GOV, AN EMPLOYEE WHO IS NOT SICK BUT HAS A SICK
HOUSEHOLD MEMBER MAY GO TO WORK. IT IS ESPECIALLY
IMPORTANT THAT THESE EMPLOYEES MONITOR THEMSELVES FOR
ILLNESS. HOWEVER, EMPLOYEES WITH SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN MAY
NEED TO STAY HOME TO CARE FOR THEIR CHILDREN. SUPERVISORS
SHOULD REVIEW LEAVE POLICIES FOR THE FLEXIBILITY TO ALLOW
EMPLOYEES TO STAY HOME IF THEY NEED TO CARE FOR THEIR
CHILDREN OR OTHER HOUSEHOLD MEMBERS WHO ARE SICK.
6. FOR QUESTIONS PERTAINING TO THIS POLICY CONTACT CDR
SCHWARTZ, COMDT (CG-1121) AT (202) 475-5172 OR
ERICA.G.SCHWARTZ(AT)USCG*****. FOR QUESTIONS REGARDING
VACCINE ADMINISTRATION AND IMPLEMENTATION CONTACT HEALTH
SAFETY AND WORK-LIFE (HSWL) SUPPORT ACTIVITY (SUPACT), CAPT
FAJARDO AT (510) 637-1225 OR MARIO.E.FAJARDO(AT)USCG***** OR CDR
SALVON-HARMAN AT (757) 628-4331 OR
JEFFREY.C.SALVONHARMAN(AT) USCG*****.
7. RADM MARK J. TEDESCO, DIRECTOR OF HEALTH, SAFETY, AND
WORK-LIFE SENDS.
8. INTERNET RELEASE IS AUTHORIZED.

[Sea Aggie]

Latest update is posted on the CommCen open source message board...

R 301858Z NOV 09

ALCOAST 682/09
COMDTNOTE 6010
SUBJ: H1N1 INFLUENZA VACCINE UPDATE
A. IMMUNIZATIONS AND CHEMOPROPHYLAXIS, COMDTINST M6230.4 (SERIES)
B. COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC 061543Z OCT O9/ALCOAST 582/09
1. LIMITED AMOUNTS OF H1N1 INFLUENZA VACCINE ARE NOW AVAILABLE AT
COAST GUARD (CG) CLINICS. 25,000 DOSES WILL BE DELIVERED THE WEEK
OF 30 NOV 2009 WITH ADDITIONAL DELIVERIES LATER IN DECEMBER.
2. THE H1N1 AND SEASONAL INFLUENZA VACCINES USE SIMILAR
MANUFACTURING PROCESSES AND ARE SAFE AND EFFECTIVE VACCINES. THE
MOST COMMON SIDE EFFECTS FOLLOWING FLU VACCINATION ARE MILD, SUCH
AS SORENESS, REDNESS, TENDERNESS OR SWELLING AT THE INJECTION SITE.
RARE ADVERSE EVENTS THAT MAY OCCUR WILL BE REPORTED IN THE SAME
MANNER AS OTHER VACCINES, USING THE VACCINE ADVERSE EVENT REPORTING
SYSTEM (VAERS) (PER REF A).
3. H1N1 INFLUENZA VACCINATION IS MANDATORY FOR ALL CG ACTIVE DUTY
(AD) AND SELECTED RESERVE (SELRES) PERSONNEL. THIS APPLIES TO
PERSONNEL WHO HAVE ALREADY EXPERIENCED INFLUENZA LIKE ILLNESS TO
PREVENT A RECURRENCE. COMPLIANCE DEADLINE FOR THE H1N1 INFLUENZA
VACCINATION IS 15 JAN 2010. THE INJECTABLE VACCINE WILL BE
ADMINISTERED INTRAMUSCULARLY, OVER THE DELTOID MUSCLE, AS A SINGLE
DOSE. FOR AVIATION PERSONNEL, INTRAMUSCULAR VACCINE IS SELF-
GROUNDING FOR 12 HOURS. THERE IS NO REQUIREMENT FOR AN UP-CHIT IF
THERE ARE NO COMPLICATIONS.
4. H1N1 INFLUENZA IMMUNIZATION FOR MILITARY MEMBERS SHALL BE
ENTERED INTO THE MEDICAL READINESS REPORTING SYSTEM (MRRS). ENSURE
H1N1 INFLUENZA IS SELECTED IN MRRS VICE SEASONAL INFLUENZA.
EXEMPTIONS TO THE H1N1 INFLUENZA IMMUNIZATION MAY BE CONSIDERED ON
A CASE-BY-CASE BASIS IN ACCORDANCE WITH REF A.
5. THE CG HAS RECEIVED A LIMITED QUANTITY OF NASAL SPRAY H1N1
VACCINE WHICH CAN BE USED FOR INDIVIDUALS AGES 2-49 YEARS WHO ARE
NOT PREGNANT AND DO NOT HAVE MEDICAL CONTRAINDICATIONS. THE NASAL
SPRAY VACCINE IS NOT AUTHORIZED FOR PERSONNEL ON ACTIVE FLIGHT OR
DIVING STATUS.
6. ELIGIBILITY: THE INITIAL VACCINE ALLOTMENT IS PREFERENTIALLY
TARGETED TO AD AND SELRES PERSONNEL IN THE PRIORITY GROUPING
DESCRIBED IN REF B AND THE FOLLOWING OPERATIONAL GROUPS (NOT IN
ORDER OF PRIORITY):
A. CUTTERS
B. AIR STATION PERSONNEL
C. DEPLOYABLE OPERATIONAL GROUP UNITS
D. SECTOR SMALL BOAT UNITS
7. ALTHOUGH OPERATIONAL FORCES ARE A PRIORITY, THE GOAL IS TO
VACCINATE ALL MILITARY MEMBERS AS SOON AS THE VACCINE BECOMES
AVAILABLE.
8. UNTIL THE FULL COMPLEMENT OF VACCINE IS RECEIVED, CG CIVILIANS
AND FAMILY MEMBERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO SEEK EARLIEST H1N1 INFLUENZA
VACCINATION THROUGH LOCAL PUBLIC HEALTH PROGRAMS OR THEIR OWN
HEALTH CARE PROVIDER. WHEN THE H1N1 INFLUENZA VACCINATION PROGRAM
IS COMPLETED FOR AD AND SELRES PERSONNEL, ANY REMAINING VACCINE
WILL BE PROVIDED TO CIVILIANS AND FAMILY MEMBERS.
9. SICKBAYS SHALL WORK WITH THEIR SUPPORTING PHARMACY TO ENSURE
ADEQUATE VACCINE AVAILABILITY FOR AD AND SELRES IN THEIR AREA OF
RESPONSIBILITY (AOR).
10. FOR QUESTIONS PERTAINING TO THIS POLICY CONTACT CDR SCHWARTZ,
COMDT (CG-1121) AT (202)475-5172 OR ERICA.G.SCHWARTZ(AT)USCG*****.
FOR QUESTIONS REGARDING VACCINE ADMINISTRATION AND IMPLEMENTATION
CONTACT HEALTH, SAFETY AND WORK-LIFE SUPPORT ACTIVITY (HSWL
SUPACT), CAPT FAJARDO AT (510)637-1225 OR MARIO.E.FAJARDO(AT)
USCG***** OR CDR SALVON-HARMAN AT (757)628-4331 OR JEFFREY.C.
SALVONHARMAN(AT)USCG*****.
11. RADM MARK J. TEDESCO, DIRECTOR OF HEALTH, SAFETY AND
WORK-LIFE SENDS.
12. INTERNET RELEASE AUTHORIZED.

My daughter got the vaccine (from the pediatrician), my wife got the vaccine (from her OB), neighbor's kids got the vaccine (from their highschool), bum on the corner got the vaccine (from the local clinic), and the general population can now get it (from open door distributions by county health); but still not enough vaccine for military/DHS USCG personnel?!?!

[Sea Aggie]

Reminder - All Active Duty and Reserve members must receive their H1N1 vaccination by January 15!

From the USCG: I just got my H1N1 Saturday afternoon. Still no word on seasonal flu vaccine availability for reserves.

From my company: H1N1 free for everyone on Tuesday. Received seasonal flu vaccine back in October.

[crazyjitsu]

Our entire Air Station of approx 600 members have all been vaccinated for both the H1N1 and seasonal.