ALLEGANY - The Cattaraugus County Board of Health welcomed a new public-health director Wednesday and heard of continued short supplies of H1N1, or swine flu, vaccine.

Dr. Kevin D. Watkins, a Chicago physician who was director of a health outreach group there, succeeded Barbara J. Hastings, who retired last month after seven years in the county’s top health post.

He was welcomed by Board of Health President Dr. Andrew C. Klaczynski. Dr. Watkins acknowledged the challenges facing the department including budget challenges and the H1N1 flu.

Dr. Watkins said he is learning about the county through staff briefings, and plans to tour the county by car next week to familiarize himself with issues in various areas. He also plans to visit flood-ravaged Gowanda, where August rains wrecked dozens of homes and damaged hundreds of others.

Dr. Watkins was also introduced to the Cattaraugus County Legislature’s Human Services Committee Wednesday night at the County Center in Little Valley.

Michael Bechelli, the Health Department’s Emergency Medical Services and Bioterrorism coordinator, said the Health Department has ordered 9,000 doses of H1N1 flu vaccine, but has received only 1,800 doses. Area physicians and medical groups have also received only a fraction of what they ordered.

Dr. Gilbert Witte, the department’s medical director, said the H1N1 epidemic “seems to have arrived simultaneously with the vaccine, or maybe a little ahead of it.”

He said the H1N1 flu is widespread across Cattaraugus County and New York state.

Dr. Watkins said youths in this county have been hospitalized with the H1N1 flu and another is very sick with flu-like symptoms, but not yet confirmed to have swine flu.

He urged residents to take simple precautions including coughing or sneezing into a tissue or the crook of the elbow, wash hands often with soap, keep hands away from eyes, avoid contact with sick people and stay home when sick.

Most cases of the flu locally have been relatively mild, said Susan Andrews, director of patient services. Most recover at home without medical treatment. For those individuals who experience severe or worsening symptoms, they should call their physician or go to the hospital, she said. High-risk persons, who believe they may have H1N1 should contact their physician to see if they should receive Tamiflu, which can ease the symptoms.

Those at higher risk of serious illness and complications from the H1N1 virus include pregnant women and new mothers; children younger than 5; people age 65 and older; people with respiratory problems including asthma; people with health conditions that include cancer or blood, liver and kidney disorders; and those with neurological or neuromuscular disorders, people with weakened immune systems and those younger than age 19 on long-term aspirin therapy.

Those high-risk people should contact their doctor if they are in close contact with someone with the flu.

The priority groups to receive the H1N1 vaccine are: Pregnant women, children age 6 months to 24 years old, people who live with or provide care for infants younger than 6 months, people ages 25 to 64 with medical conditions that put them at a higher risk for H1N1, and health-care and emergency-medical-services personnel.

Dr. Watkins said an individual’s health-care provider may be the best option to get vaccinated. He advises people to contact their physician or health-care provider to see if they expect to receive the H1N1 vaccine.

For those whose doctors will not provide the vaccine, he suggested they check the department’s Web site for information about local vaccination clinics at www.cattco.org, or call the local help lines at 938-2980 or 373-3980.

(Contact reporter Rick Miller at rmiller@oleantimesherald.com)

3 flu shot clinics postponed

The Cattaraugus County Health Department has postponed three H1N1 vaccine clinics due to increased numbers of late requests for the vaccine within previously scheduled priority points of distribution clinics and the limited supply of the vaccine. The following clinics are postponed:

- Today - Ellicottville Fire Department

- Friday - Machias Fire Department and Salamanca Health Department

- Saturday - Dayton Fire Department

These clinics will be rescheduled as soon as more supplies of the vaccine become available. The Health Department apologizes for the incovenience.

The clinics at Bethany Lutheran Church in Olean on Tuesday (Nov. 10) from 4 to 7 p.m., and Nov. 25 from 9 a.m. to noon are still scheduled.

H1N1 vaccination clinics for emergency medical services personnel only are being held Nov. 13 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Franklinville Fire Hall, and Thursday Nov. 19 at the Salamanca Fire Department.

The vaccination clinics are dependent on the availability of H1N1 vaccine.

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GreatNews wrote on Nov 7, 2009 5:30 PM:

" It's nice to see some racial diversity in leadership positions in Cattaraugus Couty. It's a refresshing change. "

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