3 pharmacies to offer H1N1 vaccinations

Smith's, Harmons and Walgreens pharmacies in Salt Lake County will provide limited H1N1 vaccinations Thursday, as health officials seek to expand the number of locations where residents can be immunized.

Each of the 50 pharmacy locations in Salt Lake County will receive an initial shipment of 200 doses, but they are only allowed by law to vaccinate people ages 13 and older.

Those who get the vaccine must also meet one of the priority criteria: pregnant women; people age 13 to 24 years old; health care and emergency medical personnel with direct patient contact; people who live with or care for babies under 6 months of age; and those age 13 to 64 with chronic underlying health conditions like asthma and diabetes.

Dr. Audrey Stevenson, Salt Lake Valley Health Department director of family health services, said the retail pharmacies came forward and offered to partner with the county.

Because they are private outlets, the pharmacies will charge an administration fee for the vaccine, but Stevenson said she doesn't know how much it is or whether the pharmacies will bill individual insurance companies for the fee.

A Walgreens press release said the stores will begin taking walk-in customers Thursday on a first-come, first-served basis between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

The charge will be $18, which may be covered by Medicare or Medicaid. Residents should check with their private insurance provider to determine whether the fee will be covered.

Both Smith's Food & Drug and Harmons grocery pharmacies will schedule vaccination appointments, also on Thursday.

Combined, the pharmacies will provide 10,000 doses. Thursday will be the first time retail pharmacies in the county have been able to offer the immunization, due to continuing limited supplies.

Stevenson said officials estimate about 509,000 Salt Lake County residents fit within one of the high-risk groups, yet to date they have received only 71,000 doses of the vaccine.

As for when larger quantities will become available, Stevenson said officials are now getting information "that perhaps the numbers will continue to be at a slow rate until December."

Even so, she said, people should continue to look for an opportunity to be immunized.

"Some people feel they have to have it right now, but just as with the seasonal flu vaccine, you are still able to receive it as the supply increases" because the flu season will most likely be prolonged.

Residents swamped the health department's Web site Tuesday morning trying to get an appointment to be vaccinated this week.