October 23, 2009

Tips for a Better Point of Dispensing (POD) Experience

The Central District Health Department (CDHD) will open its Point of Dispensing (POD) locations in Ada County Saturday October 24th at 10:00 a.m. We are well aware of the great public interest in getting the H1N1 (swine) flu vaccine. What follows are some suggestions for making your experience at the PODs better.

Priority Groups – If you’re not included in the list of Priority Groups, please don’t go to one of the PODs. Priority Groups have been developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to serve those individuals, especially children, who are most vulnerable to serious effects of an influenza infection. This is the list of Priority Groups:

• pregnant women,
• people who live with or care for children younger than 6 months of age,
• health care and emergency medical services personnel with direct patient contact (i.e. diagnosing and treating patients with flu-like illness),
• children 6 months through 4 years of age, and
• children 5 through 18 years of age who have chronic medical conditions, such as asthma, diabetes, lung or heart disease, chronic liver or kidney disease, or are immune-compromised because of cancer treatment or HIV.

Forms – Everyone seeking a vaccination at one of the PODs will need a completed and signed Consent Form. While the forms will be available at the POD locations, you can get a jump start by downloading the form from the CDHD website, (www.cdhd.idaho.gov – print in color if possible) and filling it out in advance.

Cards – CDHD staff and volunteers will be screening your completed Consent Forms and will issue those first in line a Vaccine Card for the most appropriate type of vaccine. The number of cards matches the number of vaccines of each type. Cards will be issued starting at the beginning of the line. When the cards run out that will indicate the supply of vaccine has been exhausted. The card is not a guarantee of getting vaccine, medical conditions, and variability of vaccine supply may deny some people vaccine.

Patience – There is not very much vaccine available right now. More vaccine is being shipped every week. If you aren’t served on Saturday, CDHD is operating PODs every Saturday (except November 28th) until a good percentage of Priority Group members are served. Then the vaccine will be made more widely available to the community through private providers and special clinics at our offices in Boise, Mountain Home and McCall.

Ada County Point of Dispensing (POD) locations – open from 10:00 a.m. until vaccine supply is exhausted:

• The former K-Mart store - 1001 Park Center Blvd., Boise
• The former Comp USA store - 1195 N Milwaukee St., Boise

For more information on the flu please visit the CDHD website at www.cdhd.idaho.gov or call the CDHD Flu Hotline at 321-2222.