FROM THE NUECES COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETY:

PHYSICIAN GUIDE
H1N1 VACCINE
Be Prepared - Stay Informed
NCMS
Nueces County Medical
Society
Public Health Messages
for Your Patients:
• Wash hands frequently or use alcohol sanitizer;
• Cough into arm, rather than hand;
• Stay home when you are sick, at least until there is no fever for 24
hours without medication;
• Be prepared to be sick;
• Be vaccinated for seasonal and, if appropriate, H1N1 fl u;
• Do not give aspirin or aspirin containing medicine to children
under age I8; and
• Get pneumococcal vaccine, as recommended.
Reimbursement:
• DSHS is working with the CDC for physicians to seek third-party
reimbursement for:
-Performing diagnostic testing for suspected H1N1;
-Evaluating and treating persons with H1N1;
-Administering seasonal fl u and novel H1N1 vaccines; and
-Providing care at alternative sites.
• Utilize ICD and CPT codes for:
-Diagnosis:
- Vaccine administration; and
- Vaccines.
• Specifi c codes can be found at: www.ama-assn.org.
Stay Informed:
Stay informed on the H1N1 virus by visiting these sites often:
- www.texasfl u.org - DSHS (1-888-963-7111)
- www.cdc.gov/h1n1fl u/guidance - CDC
- www.nuecesmedsociety.org - Look on the home page under
announcements
- www.co.nueces.tx.us - Nueces County Public Health District
- www.cctexas.com - City of Corpus Christi
Created by the Nueces County Medical Society Updated: Oct. 22,
2009. For updated fl yer, go to www.nuecesmedsociety.org.
Emergency Preparedness for Your Practice:
Plan now for what is expected to be a very unusual, active fl u season.
Plans should include:
• Physicians and practice staff should receive the seasonal and H1NI fl u
vaccines;
• Cross train employees so that staff can cover for each other as staff
becomes sick;
• Have staff work from home, allowing productivity from those who are
well enough to work but for various reasons cannot come to work;
• Plan for a surge of individuals seeking care and increased demand for
information, including a demand on your telephone system;
• Ask your staff to perform phone triage to determine if calling patients
have H1N1 symptoms;
• Keep patients with H1N1 symptoms isolated from other patients, if
possible;
• Inform patients who are on the high priority list that they should receive
the H1N1 immunization in addition to seasonal fl u vaccine; and
• A decision algorithm is available through DSHS at www.dshs.state.tx.
us/txf1u./DCHHS-H1N1.pdf.
*The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defi nes high risk
for H1Nl infl uenza as adults and children with: chronic pulmonary, cardiovascular,
hepatic, hematological, neurologic, neuromuscular, metabolic
disorders, and/or immunosuppression, including those caused by medications
or HIV.
1000 Morgan Avenue
Corpus Christi, TX 78404
361-884-5442 • FAX 361-884-8478
www.nuecesmedsocisty.org
Vaccine Availability and Usage:
1. Physicians must register at www.TexasFlu.org to order the H1N1 vaccine. It will be distributed exclusively through the Texas Department of
State Health Services (DSHS) rather than traditional vaccine distribution channels. Although DSHS encouraged physicians to pre-register by
Sept. 13 to aid statewide planning, offi cials now say pre-registration will continue throughout the H1N1 vaccination campaign.
2. The vaccines will be sent in increments of 100.
3. Texas can expect to receive its fi rst shipment during the fi rst week of October, a second shipment by mid-October and regular weekly shipments
by the end of the month.
4. The vaccine will confer protection from the virus eight to 10 days after administered.
5. A single injection (one dose) will suffi ce to protect individuals over age 10; however, children under 10 should receive two doses.
6. The H1N1 vaccine can he administered at the same time as the shot against the seasonal fl u.
7. The LAIV (nasal spray) is only recommended for HEALTHY people ages 2-49 years.
8. Administering both the live attenuated seasonal and the live attenuated H1N1 infl uenza vaccines at the same visit is NOT recommended because
of concerns about competition between the two vaccine viruses. If you have only live vaccines for both seasonal and H1N1 infl uenza available,
you should separate the doses of the two live vaccines by at least 4 weeks.
9. Go to www.cdc.gov/h1n1fl u/recommendations, for information on the use of antiviral medications.
2Disregard any past advice sent and monitor the NCMS Web site (www.nuecesmedsociety.org) for changes in current advice.
CDC’s Priority Vaccine Recommendations:
H1N1
Vaccine
Seasonal
Flu
X X Pregnant women
X X People who live with or care for babies under 6
months of age
X X Children and young people age 6 months to 18 years
X All young adults ages 19 to 24
X People 50 years of age and older
X X People ages 24 to 64 with certain chronic medical
conditions
X X Health care and emergency medical services workers
X People who live in nursing homes and other longterm
care facilities
X People who live with or care for those at high risk*
for complications from fl u (except infants)