The Kosciusko County Health Department administered more than 800 flu vaccine doses this flu season.

Because of budgetary reasons, county health department administrator Bob Weaver said they were not ordering any more.

"If they can't get it through their own personal physicians," he said, he didn't know where a county resident could go to get one.

Originally, the county health department ordered 600 doses. Approximately two weeks ago, the department ordered 210 more doses from another county. Those already have been given out and no more are going to be ordered.

County Health Nurse Deb Frank said if someone wants a flu shot, they should "keep trying their doctor. Some who didn't have some before may be getting some" in the next couple of weeks.

She said she heard some doctors ordered flu shots from a surplus list and may be getting those in the next week or two. A person's best bet is to call and ask their own personal physician, she said.

From her visits to senior citizen and nutrition sites, Frank said she has some doses remaining, but plans to give those to persons on a waiting list compiled by the senior citizen center at the Pete Thorn Center, Warsaw. Only a small number is left.

Kosciusko County Family Healthcare did not have any flu shots as of Monday. They hope to get some shortly, but do not know when they will get them, if they receive them at all. They plan to put an advertisement in the newspaper if and when they receive the new doses, but the shots will be for their patients only.

This morning, Frank said she was contacted by the Kosciusko Home Care & Hospice Monday afternoon that they do have some flu shots people can buy for $15 each. "Not many, but some," she said. If a person is eligible for Medicare, they can bill Medicare for the $15 charge. The phone number for Kosciusko Home Care & Hospice is 574-372-3401.

In October, Chiron Corp. notified the Centers for Disease Control none of its influenza vaccine would be available for distribution in the United States. The company said the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency in the United Kingdom, where Chiron's vaccine is produced, suspended the company's license to manufacture the vaccine for three months, preventing any release of the vaccine for this influenza season. This reduced by half the expected supply of flu vaccine available in the United States for the 2004-05 influenza season.

The CDC issued interim recommendations for influenza vaccinations during the 2004-05 season. Priority groups for vaccination with inactivated influenza vaccine this season are:

• All children age 6-23 months.

• Adults 65 years or older.

• Persons less than 2 to 64 years old with underlying chronic medical conditions.

• All women who will be pregnant during the flu season.

• Residents of nursing homes and long-term care facilities.

• Children 6 months to 18 years of age on chronic aspirin therapy.

• Health-care workers with direct patient care.

• Out-of-home caregivers and household contacts of children less than 6 months old.

Additional ways that each individual can reduce their chances of catching the flu or passing it to others:

• Wash your hands frequently with soap and water.

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

• Stay at home when you are sick.

• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing.

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.

• Practice daily good nutrition and exercise. [[In-content Ad]]