Ethnic media in San Diego are an important resource to disseminate information about the H1N1 flu to people who otherwise might not receive that information in their own language, according to a panel of San Diego health officials during a media briefing last week.

“We do rely on the media to help get messages out to the public,” said County Public Health Officer Dr. Wilma Wooten.

In the media briefing, which was sponsored by sponsored by The California Endowment and organized by New America Media, an association of ethnic media across the nation, state and county health officials said that members of the media are the ones who must learn more about the virus to prevent some of the myths surrounding the H1N1 vaccine.

Some of the myths that members of ethnic media outlets in San Diego said they have heard of from their readers are that many of them are waiting “to see the side-effects” of the vaccine. Others are afraid that the vaccine might make them sick.

But the H1N1 vaccine is safe, said Dr. Ben Sun, of the California Department of Public Health’s pandemic influenza response team.

“There shouldn’t be any significant concern regarding the vaccine,” he said.

San Diego has been in the epicenter of the H1N1 outbreak. It has here that in April a 10-year-old boy was the first known case of H1N1 in the United States.

Since April, 834 people have been hospitalized with the H1N1 flu in San Diego. Fifty-seven people have died here, higher than the mortality rate of any seasonal flu in the past 10 years, according to Wooten.

As of Dec. 11, about 833,000 doses have come into San Diego, which has a population of about 3.1 million. Another 89,000 doses were ordered on Monday.

By week 50 of the pandemic, San Diego had vaccinated more than 9,000 students and almost 70,000 individuals. “By the end of the year, we probably will have vaccinated one-third of our population,” Wooten estimates.

This week, the County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency announced that the H1N1 vaccine will be available to everyone starting Tuesday, December 22.

“We have been closely monitoring the demand for H1N1 vaccine and have seen a decline in interest from the priority groups at our Public Health centers and in the community,” said Wooten. “While there is not an unlimited supply of vaccine available, with the decline in priority groups’ interest and increased supplies available, vaccinations are now open to non-priority groups who want protection against the H1N1 virus.”

More vaccine is now available and additional shipments are expected in the coming weeks.

County residents are encouraged to contact their primary care physician since private providers receive most of the H1N1 vaccine.  Residents who don’t have a primary care physician or whose doctor did not order H1N1 vaccine can get vaccinated at one of the County’s seven vaccination sites or at evening and weekend clinics conducted by local community health centers.  Clinic hours may vary.

San Diego health officials have released ads targeting different ethnic groups, including Latinos, Filipinos and African Americans. They are working with community groups to provide information to homeless people and migrant workers. Dr. Dean Sidelinger, deputy public health officer for the county, is reaching out to Mexican day laborers and agricultural communities by providing community clinics, local organizations and the Mexican Consulate with Spanish-language information cards about H1N1.

The CDPH also operates a statewide hotline six days a week in 10 different languages.

The California Department of Public Health has announced that phase three of vaccine distribution will begin in January. At this time, approximately 6-7 million more doses will be coming to the state, on average 8 to10 percent of the state’s allocation comes to San Diego. From this order, the County will plan to conduct mass vaccination clinics in mid to late January. Subsequent orders will allow for retail pharmacies and all vaccinators registered with the State to begin offering the vaccine.

Dr. Sun said that it is important to get vaccinated because the H1N1 virus “is going to be here for a while.”