Don't blame Kane health department for doing its job

It is tempting to criticize the Kane County Public Health Department for its handling of the free H1N1 vaccination program so far.

An overwhelming demand for the swine flu shots and nasal mists at the department's first round of clinics last week drastically depleted its vaccine supply. The department was forced to cancel the countywide clinics scheduled for Monday and for Nov. 9 and shift to distributing its remaining vaccine by appointment only through its offices in Aurora and Elgin until its supplies are replenished.

Undoubtedly, that frustrated many Kane County residents who haven't received the vaccine yet but expected to in the coming days.

But the public health department did what the federal Centers for Disease Control asked it to when it distributed the H1N1 vaccine: Make a public plea that only those defined by the CDC as at high risk of severe or fatal consequences if they contract the virus come to the scheduled clinics for the free vaccinations.

The CDC did not tell the public health department to insist on evidence that someone was in a high-risk group: anyone age 6 months through 24 years old, pregnant women, caregivers and parents of children younger than 6 months; and those with pre-existing health conditions.

From a health standpoint, the CDC advised, the rest of us aged 25 to 64 can wait until the high-risk groups are accommodated, or find another source -- such as their family doctor, a pharmacy or health clinic.

Public health departments in Cook, DuPage, Will, Kendall and McHenry counties either hosted clinics like Kane did or handled it by appointment in an attempt to make their initial vaccine supply last longer.

No doubt there were some who received the H1N1 vaccine at last week's clinics in Elgin, St. Charles and Aurora who weren't in the targeted groups. How many, no one can say.

Perhaps it was selfish of them to accept the vaccine now that was meant for those in those groups. It may make those at-risk groups vulnerable to contracting the H1N1 virus before the next batch of vaccine is available to them.

Tom Schlueter, spokesman for the public health department, told The Courier-News last week, "If somebody lied, there's nothing we really could do. We can't do a physical. The idea was to go through the line as quickly as possible to protect as many people as we can."

Indeed, it is the goal of the CDC and public health departments to make sure everyone who wants the vaccine will have it available to them sometime this fall.

While we don't condone anyone cutting in line, so to speak, to get vaccinated, we understand that some of our neighbors are fearful of getting the H1N1 virus and took advantage of an opportunity to protect themselves.

Perhaps by not getting the disease themselves, they will protect others against the virus, including those in high-risk groups.