By Tove Tupper
 
October 27, 2009
 
GRANTS PASS, Ore. - Josephine County received 1,000 new H1N1 vaccines this week, bringing its total to 3,800 doses.
 
Health officials says Oregon has so far received 6-percent of the H1N1 vaccines necessary for people in the priority group, which they estimate makes up about half the population.
 
The Josephine County Health Department is holding 300 of its doses for a flu clinic later this week in Cave Junction. The rest are being distributed to local providers, whose responsibility it is to determine which patients fall within the priority group. Officials estimate about 40,000 people living in Josephine County are considered priority.
 
Meanwhile, the Jackson County Health Department says it has not received any new vaccines, but is expecting some at the end of this week.
 
Last week, Josephine County declared a state of emergency due to the H1N1 virus. The declaration was meant to coordinate resources and local providers, and help track the H1N1 flu.
 
Jackson County health officials will hold off on asking commissioners to ask the the state to declare a state of emergency. Instead, they will wait to determine what President Barack Obama's declaration of a national swine flu emergency last Friday will mean to states and counties.
 
"We are trying to coordinate with state authorities to see how the Federal Disaster Declaration will fall out at the local level," Jackson County Commissioner Dr. Dave Gilmour said.
 
County commissioners and health leaders will hold a phone conference with state leaders Wednesday afternoon. They hope the federal declaration will mean more vaccine and supplies for the county.