The UF Student Health Care Center released the following information on Tuesday, Nov. 10 about the availability of the H1N1 vaccine for health-care workers.
According to the Alachua County Health Department that the list of health-care workers eligible to receive the H1N1 injectable vaccine has been extended.
H1N1 vaccines are now available through the University of Florida to the following UF staff:
• Front-line health-care workers who have direct patient care, including general medical personnel, adult and pediatric outpatient clinic staff, surgeons and home care staff.
• Hematology and oncology, bone marrow transplant, OB/GYN, emergency, infectious disease, pediatrics, labor and delivery, mother/baby and oncology department staff as well as those staffing intensive care units.
• Pregnant employees. However, because the multidose influenza vaccines contain thimerosal, pregnant employees should contact their obstetricians or the Alachua County Health Department to determine if they should be vaccinated with thimerosal-containing vaccines.
• Those who are under the age of 50 and care for children age 6 months and younger also may be vaccinated. Shands Occupational Health Services cannot provide H1N1 vaccine to this population at this time because of the limited number of doses in stock.
Vaccines are available while supplies last for UF employees of the specified departments at UF’s Student Health Care Center Occupational Medicine clinic. The clinic is located in room D2-49 of the dental building. Please call 392-0627 to make sure vaccines are still available before going to the clinic. Employees must present their ID badges to receive shots.
Please note: Shands HealthCare employees working in our health system hospitals and clinics are receiving instructions from Shands Occupational Health Services about H1N1 vaccination. It is expected that doses will be limited during November. Additional H1N1 vaccine doses continue to be delivered to the Alachua County Health Department each week. Shands Occupational Health Services will announce expanded employee eligibility for the vaccine as doses become available and per directive of the health department.
Our ultimate goal is to vaccinate all members of the UF and Shands community who wish to be vaccinated. Thank you for your patience.