When the swine flu vaccine arrives in San Diego in mid-to late-October, there should be enough for everyone, county health officials announced today.
Residents will be able to get vaccinated at doctors' offices, pharmacies, community clinics and public health centers, according to the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency.
The agency is also considering providing mass H1N1 vaccinations throughout the county.
Two dozen school districts in the region have also indicated an interest in providing the vaccinations at schools, according to the HHSA.
About 450 health providers and businesses in the county have registered with the state to provide the H1N1 vaccine at their facilities.
Health officials gathered at the Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center in Skyline today to encourage residents to get vaccinated against both the seasonal flu and the H1N1 virus.
"We cannot emphasize enough the importance of getting your seasonal flu shot," said Dr. Dean Sidelinger, the county's deputy public health officer. "Getting the vaccine against H1N1 is also extremely important because the majority of people do not have immunity against this flu."
The vaccine for the seasonal flu is already available at some locations in the county.
County health officials said it is especially important that people at higher risk for contracting the H1N1 virus get vaccinated. Those at risk include pregnant women, caretakers of children under 6 months, children and adults up to age 24, emergency health care workers and people with chronic medical conditions.
However, there should be an ample supply of the H1N1 virus vaccine for everyone, the HHSA said.
To date, 284 people have been hospitalized in San Diego County due to the H1N1 virus and 22 people have died of the disease.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predicts that as many as 40 percent of Americans could contract the H1N1 virus this flu season.
