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Oct 27, 2009 1:18 pm US/Eastern
H1N1 Vaccine Shortage Causing Problems
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) ―
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A shortage of the H1N1 vaccine is leading some officials to believe that when it does show up in Western Pennsylvania, it will be too little too late.
Andreas Rentz/Getty Images
The H1N1 flu is causing some fear and confusion around the country as a plentiful supply of the vaccine is not available.
Experts say the good news is that the H1N1 virus has not mutated into a worse form up to this point.
The vaccines promised by Washington D.C. for Western Pennsylvania are few and far between.
"We were told that we would have close to 40 million doses of vaccine by the end of October in this country, that's been significantly revised downward to someplace in the range of 14 million. Where we're going to have clinics, it's far too early. We are doing some thinking if and when we would be, but at the moment, we don't have vaccine," Dr. Bruce Dixon said.
The doctor and his small group of professionals from the Allegheny County Health Department have already been met by the H1N1 in the area.
"Right now we are probably seeing more cases of H1N1 than we have seen even during regular flu season in the concentration we have. Some numbers of the hospitals emergency rooms would indicate that approaching 20 percent of the people being seen in the emergency rooms have symptoms of H1N1."
The vast majority of those going to the hospital will recover just fine, according to the doctor.
However, people who are sick are still going out in public. That means that more people are afflicted.
The doctor is saying that if you feel remotely sick, or think you have the flu, do not go to the emergency room, perhaps call your physician and above all, do not go outside.
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