Jurisdictions Deal With Vaccine Shortages

ALEXANDRIA, Va (WUSA) Several thousand people flocked to an H1N1 flu clinic at Alexandria's George Washington Middle School Saturday, but despite a four hour wait, only 1500  were able to get the vaccine because of the shortages that all jurisdictions are experiencing.

Public health officials are frustrated. "We had expected to wrap up the vaccination of at-risk groups including pregnant women, first-responders, very young children and those with underlying health problems by now" Alexandria's Health Department director Dr. Lisa Kaplowitz told 9 News Now. "But because vaccine production has not kept up, we haven't been able to serve all the at-risk populations."

One way all metro jurisdictions have tried to address the shortage problem is through a lot of coordination. Vann Marks, a public health volunteer from Prince William County said she came to the Alexandria clinic " since my county wasn't holding a clinic today and I realize how important it is to help beat this epidemic."

Alexandria's mayor Bill Euille said "no one is being turned away regardless of where they live" This is because officials believe its in the best public health interest of all the DC suburbs and the District to vaccinate the people who flow freely from one jurisdiction to the other in the course of their daily activities.

Officials are also taking a day to day approach to when they will hold more clinics and who will get priority in getting the shots. They are sure however that they will get more vaccines in the coming weeks say once the at risk groups are immunized, they will open up vaccination clinics to the general public.