Rio investigates: flu season

It has been an on going struggle fighting this recent flu bug that has been floating around making everyone feel like hell. It has gotten to the point where it is affecting close friends and relatives. Lurking on every doorknob, ready to be encountered.Last month Rio Hondo's Student Health Services planned to offer students and faculty the seasonal influenza vaccination, and if the County of Los Angeles permitted, the H1N1 vaccine as well.

Unfortunately, both of these vaccinations will be unavailable on campus due to circumstances beyond the school's control. One reason is due to a major increase in demand for the seasonal flu vaccine causing a delay in shipment by one of the largest manufacturers of the FluLaval vaccine, the vaccine that Rio ordered over a year ago.

Dr. Alfred Forrest, Student Health Services Coordinator, has been extremely persistent on getting the vaccines conveniently on campus for students and the 140 faculty members who called in to get the vaccines.

"This is effecting everybody," explains Dr. Forrest, "we are trying to participate to make sure this happens, but bottom line, it's hard right now."

The national government and the County of Los Angeles are controlling the allocation of the vaccinations and now the seasonal flu vaccine has become quite scarce. The County of Los Angeles Department of Public Health has stated on its official website that "the scheduled Department of Public Health Seasonal Flu Clinics have ended. We anticipate an increased supply of seasonal flu vaccines by November."

So far, H1N1 has not become a major issue on Rio's campus; however, Santa Monica City College and Valley College have been hit by the pandemic. "The only hope you have getting any kind of protection is getting vaccinated," says Dr. Forrest.

Rio Hondo is currently on the waiting list for a shipment of the vaccinations, so it is just a matter of when. In the mean time, Dr. Forrest recommends visit anywhere a vaccination is being offered, whether it is your local Ralph's Supermarket or Walgreens.

For a list of open H1N1 Clinics, go to www.publichealth.lacounty.gov.