Alternative H1N1 Vaccination Outreach and Distribution Strategy

Background: While initial supply of H1N1 vaccine was low, San Mateo County Health System (SMCHS) used an alternative distribution strategy during the 2009-2010 influenza season. Instead of holding mass vaccination clinics early, SMCHS encouraged the countywide healthcare provider network to provide the vaccine to their patients and staff. This strategy ensured that high priority populations would receive vaccine earlier, as healthcare providers can best identify patients at high risk. Methods: SMCHS conducted aggressive outreach to ensure that all healthcare providers prebooked doses of H1N1 vaccine before vaccine distribution. Once the distribution process began, pediatric providers, OB/GYN, family practitioners, pre-hospital healthcare providers and hospitals were allocated vaccine first. As supply increased, vaccine was allocated to Internal Medicine, multispecialty groups, and healthcare workers. SMCHS redistributed its own vaccine doses to any hospitals or healthcare providers in need. After the healthcare provider network received adequate vaccine, San Mateo County opened up public vaccination clinics, first to the uninsured, then to all communities. SMCHS also started special outreach efforts to increase vaccination among low-uptake populations by working with community and faith-based organizations and by organizing vaccine clinics with the support of community leaders. Results: Results demonstrate that priority groups had earlier opportunities to receive H1N1 vaccination and that community partnerships enabled vaccination of low-uptake populations. Conclusions: Effective, targeted outreach to the healthcare provider network and to low-uptake communities ensured that a greater proportion of the high priority populations received vaccine and were vaccinated earlier while vaccine supplies were low.