We have the flu vaccine for patients!
Effective Immediately! (9/25)
Due to vaccine shortage, flu shots will be given only to patients with flu shot appointments and at the well visits (including siblings who are in the office) through next Wednesday (9/30).
No new flu shot only appointments will be scheduled at this time. Those who have a flu shot visit scheduled for 10/1 or later have already been placed in a queue and will be contacted as soon as the vaccine is available. When the vaccine becomes available, we will offer 2 Saturday Flu clinics for those patients who previously had appointments (are in the queue) and were canceled due to the shortage.
Secondary to a vaccine shortage, and in keeping with the Center for Disease Control guidelines, we will be following a prioritization plan.
1. All patients who are 2 years and older will receive only the Flu Mist unless it is medically necessary for them to receive the injection. (see waiver and pt. history)
2. Only high-risk patients of Blue Fish can receive the flu injection in the office=NO parents will receive it, they will be encouraged to receive it elsewhere including parents who have babies < 6 months old.
3. Flu shot clinics will follow this action plan and parents are encouraged to check the Blue Fish website prior to the flu clinic dates.
Must be minimum of 28 days between seasonal flu vaccination and H1N1 vaccination when it becomes available (likely mid-October)
From Harris County Medical Society
The vaccine is expected to be available by mid-October.
It is recommended that the following groups are vaccinated first:
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pregnant women;
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household contacts and caregivers of children younger than 6 months;
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healthcare and emergency medical services personnel;
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all people from 6 months to 24 years of age; and
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persons aged 25 through 64 years who have health conditions associated with a higher risk of medical complications from influenza.
Seasonal flu vaccine should arrive in early September. H1N1 vaccine will not protect against seasonal flu.
There must be a minimum of 28 days between seasonal flu vaccination and H1N1 vaccination, so seasonable flu vaccine should be given as soon as possible.
Currently the follow vaccines are available.
| Flu-Shot* | Unavailable |
| Flu-Mist | Available |
| VFC | Unavailable |
| * Only high-risk patients of Blue Fish can receive the flu injection in the office=NO parents will receive it, they will be encouraged to receive it elsewhere including parents who have babies < 6 months old. | |
As of 10:30 AM 9/19/09 the Flu Vaccine will ONLY be available to patients. Unfortunately parents will NOT be able to receive the Flu Vaccine from Blue Fish Pediatrics. We apologize for the inconvenience. This will change as our stock of flu vaccine changes, please continue to check our website for updates or call ahead.
During regular office hours, the flu vaccine will only be available to family members living in the same household with children <6 months old and to all patients of Blue Fish Pediatrics. For all other parents, see below.
The flu vaccine will be administered at all well child visits until supplies are exhausted (no additional appointment or phone call is required). We will also be giving separate flu-vaccine-only appointments (without a doctor’s consultation) during regular office hours until supplies are exhausted.
Family Flu Day Clinics are currently suspended for 9/26, 10/24, and 10/31.
Please read the following carefully. Regrettably, the answer is complicated and beyond our control.
Medicaid and CHIP: The vaccine is covered by your insurance as long as we have the VFC flu vaccine in stock. If we should run out of VFC stock, you can pay the cash price for the vaccine.
Commercial Insurance: You will have to pay your copay for your insurance. Even if your copay is higher than what we charge our cash paying patients, we are contractually obligated by the insurance carrier to charge you the full copay amount. In the past we have tried multiple times to negotiate with the insurance carriers to allow us to charge you the same price as our cash paying patients, and they would not budge on this matter. We apologize for this inconvenience, but legally we are obligated to do so. You always have the option of receiving the flu vaccine elsewhere such as a grocery store or pharmacy for their cash price (as they are not contracted with your insurance company).
The 2009-2010 Flu Season newsletter is now available for download. You will find information regarding the flu vaccine, family flu day clinics and H1N1 virus from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).