Ashton Parikh, director of the Dallas County Department of Health, announced that he will hold two clinics for the flu vaccine in the upcoming weeks.

He couldn’t be happier.

“We’ll have plenty (of vaccine),” he said.

Parikh has put a lot of time into getting more vaccine for high-risk residents of Dallas County. The latest release of 35,000 from the state Department of Public Health means he’ll be able to meet most of the needs of the county.

On Dec. 6 and Dec. 14, the Department will be administering doses from 8 a.m. to noon, then from 1 to 5 p.m.

“It’s (the vaccine) still for high risk people,” he said. “It’s not for everybody.”

These clinics guarantee that those lives threatened by flu – diabetics, infants, the elderly – will get the vaccine they need.

The health department has administered more than 140,000 doses of influenza vaccine this flu season to persons at high risk of complications. Over the last few months the private medical community has vaccinated over 300,000 individuals.

Nursing homes aren’t going to be left out either.

The department has coordinated orders for 74,000 doses of vaccine which are being distributed to nursing homes, hospitals, assisted living facilities and other health care providers. Alabama nursing homes and assisted living facilities have begun receiving influenza vaccine already.

Parikh said if any nursing home faced a vaccine shortage, he would be happy to help out.

The health department is also identifying health care providers who may purchase approximately 54,000 doses of adult vaccine and 22,400 doses of pediatric vaccine. Of these doses, 46,300 will be sent in January.

The Health Department continues its surveillance of influenza-like illness and confirmed influenza to monitor disease activity. Fortunately, there have been no confirmed influenza cases in Alabama yet this season and it appears that this will be a normal flu season. The additional doses of vaccine are being made available to the private sector by Aventis in an effort to compensate for the loss of vaccine manufactured by Chiron. The health care facilities will be responsible for the purchase of the vaccine. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is working with state and local health officials to assure that all available vaccine is allocated as fairly as possible across the nation to protect the most vulnerable citizens.

Priority groups for vaccination with inactivated influenza vaccine remain:

all children aged 6-23 months.

adults aged 65 years or older.

persons aged 2-64 years with underlying chronic medical conditions.

all women who will be pregnant during influenza season.

residents of nursing homes and long-term care facilities.

children 6 months-18 years of age on chronic aspirin therapy.

healthcare workers with direct patient care, and out-of-home caregivers and household contacts of children aged less than 6 months.

Doses will not be administered to individuals not categorized as “high-risk.”

For those high-risk patients, Parikh and the staff at the Dallas County Health Department will be happy to help out.

“We’ll take care of them,” he said.