Portland Area Health Officials Praised For H1N1 Response

By Kristian Foden-Vencil | March 11, 2010 12:48 p.m. | Updated: June 16, 2010 11:56 p.m. | Portland, OR

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Health authorities in Portland were given a pat on the back Thursday for  vaccinating key populations against the H1N1 flu. Kristian Foden-Vencil reports.

As the flu season winds down, health experts are looking at how they dealt with the H1N1 scare. In the Portland area, almost 80 percent of first responders and health care workers were vaccinated - that compares to just over 20 percent nationwide. Outgoing Multnomah County chair, Ted Wheeler, told local health experts they could be proud.  Ted Wheeler: "I want to congratulate you. I'm really pleased with our local efforts and frankly I'm very disturbed by the national statistic here. Because we can't stop a pandemic on our own."

As swine flu turned out to be less deadly than feared, vaccine has been stockpiling. In Portland about 75-thousand doses are in a warehouse. Some has expired.

Next year's flu jabs will contain the H1N1 vaccine. Kristian Foden-Vencil, OPB News.

© 2010 OPB

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