Registered Nurse Constance Joyner loads a syringe with H1N1 vaccination at the Wayne County Health Department in Wayne, Mich., on Oct. 21.All Marines should get H1N1 vaccine by springBy James K. Sanborn - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday Nov 25, 2009 22:08:28 EST
Active-duty and reserve Marines should receive H1N1 influenza vaccinations no later than March 1, Marine officials say.
Until recently, supply shortages allowed only enough vaccinations for those Marines slated to deploy and a select few in the war zone, but manufacturers are rebounding and, if current shipment sizes are a sign of things to come, the March deadline outlined in Marine Administrative Message 0669/09 should be within reach.
To date, more than 74,000 doses have been shipped to Naval Military Treatment Facilities for “high priority” sailors, Marines and civilians, those scheduled to deploy or those working in a medical field, said Cmdr. Cappy Surette, a spokesman for the Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery.
Limited deliveries already have arrived at some major installations, including Camp Lejeune, N.C., and California’s Camp Pendleton and the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms.
More challenging will be delivering the vaccine to already-deployed troops in the hot climates of Iraq and Afghanistan. To remain effective, the vaccine must be stored at 32 to 43 degrees.
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http://marinecorpstimes.com/news/2009/11/marine_swineflu_112609w/unhappycamper comment: Thank you Galaxo Smith Kline and Roche Holding AG for all you do. :sarcasm: