High absenteeism at local schools and a St. John Medical Center Emergency Department swamped with patients with flu-like symptoms likely means the H1N1 virus — swine flu — has arrived.

“Nearly all the influenza cases nationwide, statewide and locally are H1N1,” Dr. Alan Melnick, Region IV Health Officer, said in a recent health advisory. “Seasonal flu is not currently circulating in our community, although we do anticipate seeing it later this season.”

No local deaths have been reported from the outbreak.

As H1N1 flu vaccines trickle into Region IV, which covers Cowlitz, Clark, Skamania and Wahkiakum counties and the Cowlitz Tribe, public health officials are working to distribute it to clinics and hospitals as rapidly as the supply is made available, health officials said Wednesday.

Region IV has received about 14,500 H1N1 vaccine doses. Due to the current shortage, early H1N1 vaccine distribution is prioritized for pregnant women, health care workers, children ages 6 months to 19 years, and parents and caregivers of children younger than 6 months. It is anticipated that over time, an adequate supply of the vaccine will be available for every person in the four-county area, Region IV health officials said.

In the meantime, people still looking to get their seasonal flu shots may be out of luck — at least for now.

All area pharmacies — including Safeway, Rite-Aid, Fred Meyer, Walgreen and Wal-Mart — which had been offering seasonal flu vaccines, reported Wednesday they were out of the vaccines and likely wouldn’t be getting any more. St. John Medical Center is down to its last 200 doses, and Kaiser Permanente has a limited supply for patients who are the most vulnerable, according to spokesmen.

“We’ve basically run out, in terms of being able to run flu clinics,” Kaiser spokesman David Northfield said Wednesday. “The demand was just through the roof. We have enough for our risk groups, but a very limited supply.” (See Update Below)

“We are down to about our last 200 doses, and then we’ll be out, most likely by Monday,” St. John spokesman Randy Querin said. “We’ll be distributing them based on (Centers for Disease Control) guidelines to PeaceHealth Medical Group patients, and then we’ll join everyone else in the waiting line.”

Several factors led to the shortage of seasonal flu vaccines, according to the health advisory. The largest suppliers of seasonal flu vaccine experienced a delay in their shipments, and another manufacturer underestimated demand. Shortages also may be due to more people heeding health officials’ advice and getting their seasonal flu shots in advance of the H1N1 — swine flu — vaccines becoming available.

“The demand for seasonal flu vaccine this early in the season has been higher than anticipated, probably because of concerns over H1N1, including media reports,” Melnick said.

“We also know the manufacturers (of seasonal flu vaccines) were instructed by the federal government to switch to making H1N1 vaccines,” Northfield said.

In the health advisory, Melnick said Region IV health care providers should receive all the seasonal flu vaccine they ordered, though it could be November before all deliveries are made.

“Fortunately, seasonal flu virus is not circulating at this time,” the advisory said. “The typical flu season runs November through March, so we recommend that our unvaccinated patients receive seasonal flu vaccine as soon as supplies increase in late October or early November.”

“Our provider says they don’t have an estimated time for us before we get the rest of our supply,” Querin said. “It could be as late as November.”

For more information about seasonal and H1N1 flu, call (877) 510-2772 or visit the Region IV Web site at www.flunewsswwashington.org

Update: Kaiser Permanente spokesman David Northfield said Thursday morning there is no seasonal flu vaccine available at the Longview/Kelso clinic.

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Local schools hit hard with flu  (Oct. 21)