Area nursing homes await flu shots

"Am I the only one in Seattle that's been immunized?" he joked.

Not quite. But he did get lucky. Unexpectedly, his nursing home, Providence Mount St. Vincent in West Seattle, received a bounty of 200 flu shots from its pharmacist this week.

In contrast, most nursing homes in King County have no flu vaccine, public-health officials reported. All are expected to get more vaccine over the coming weeks.

The flu-shot shortage was announced by U.S. health officials earlier this month after a company expected to provide nearly half of the U.S. supply was shut down because of contamination in the vaccine.

Many nursing-home providers have been frustrated, confused and worried about when and how much vaccine they'll eventually get to protect their frontline caregivers and, more importantly, residents — the very people most vulnerable to severe, even deadly complications from the flu.

"The flu can sweep through a nursing home like the black death. It could be a real crisis," said Brendan Williams, executive director of the Washington Health Care Association, which represents more than 330 assisted-living and skilled-nursing facilities.

The nursing-home industry has been lobbying state and federal health officials to rank its residents toward the top of the list for getting flu shots when they're shipped.

"Any medical doctor you talk to will say the nursing-home population is most at need for this vaccination," Williams said. "It's not like we're asking for special treatment. We're just trying to keep people from dying."

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says this year's vaccine should go only to those at highest risk from the flu: children 6 to 23 months old, children on long-term aspirin therapy, people with chronic ailments, and anyone 65 or older.

Nursing-home residents usually aren't strong enough to stand in line for hours to get a shot. And their congregate-care lifestyle — interacting in hallways, sharing the same cafeteria and doubling up in rooms — can be a breeding ground for the virus.

Many residents can't cover their mouths when they cough or wash their hands. People from the community who could carry the virus are constantly in and out — care workers, families, volunteers and suppliers.

Nursing homes have about 22,000 beds statewide, but not all are full.

While providers wait for news about vaccine supplies, many have scrambled to find doses on the private market.

Ida Culver Broadview, a North Seattle retirement center and nursing home, took a busload of its independent-living residents — the healthiest in its community — to get flu shots at a QFC grocery store last week. But they got there too late.

The center would have tried again at a different QFC. But 150 vaccine doses are due to arrive soon. Those will be administered to the retirement-community residents. Nursing-

home residents will receive the next round of shots.

Still, its community health director, Judy Shannon, can't help wondering: "Why did they get flu shots at QFC before we got them for our nursing residents?"

At CRISTA Senior Community in Shoreline, director Bob Howell has been assured that his nursing-center residents and frontline caregivers will get their shots, perhaps as early as next week.

"But we've spent many, many hours on the phone trying to locate any stores that might have a few doses left, and we tried to get our caregivers out to those," Howell said.

Bessie Burton Sullivan Skilled Nursing Residence in Seattle has no vaccine at this point.

"We have a lot of very worried families," said Virginia Eilers, staff-development director. "We've just been trying to tell people that we don't know if the conservation measures will result in us being able to get doses at a later time."

Providence Mount St. Vincent operates a nursing home, assisted-living apartments, adult day health and an adult family home. In a typical season, it gives nearly 1,000 shots to residents, families, workers and volunteers.

Director Charlene Boyd deliberated and decided to give the 200 doses received this week to residents in the nursing home.

Now Boyd's been told Providence will receive enough additional vaccine for the rest of its residents and direct-care workers. "Then I'll feel more at ease that I've taken care of the most vulnerable," she said.

Not knowing exactly what's ahead, most nursing homes have started infection-control procedures. Some have signs on their doors warning people with flu symptoms to stay away. Others plan to provide masks for visitors with symptoms.

If an outbreak occurs, extra policies will kick in, like "wiping everything that doesn't move with disinfectant," said one nursing director.

And hand washing and more hand washing is the order of the day.

Marsha King: 206-464-2232 or mking@seattletimes.com