In the news today: What's happening with the H1N1 flu

Mandatory vaccine policy challenged in Grand Rapids

A respiratory therapist in Grand Rapids may lose her job after refusing to get the seasonal flu vaccine.

The Grand Rapids Press is reporting Spectrum Health Helen DeVos Children's Hospital might fire Rachel Denherder for refusing the vaccine. Denherder has said she is refusing the vaccine for religious reasons.

The hospital’s policy was implemented last summer.

St. Joseph Mercy Health System, based in Superior Township, requires workers who are considered Tier One or Tier Two, or those who are considered at highest risk, to get both the seasonal flu and H1N1 flu vaccines.

Tier one employees are those involved directly in patient care, and tier two employees are those who offer critical support such as food delivery, room sanitizing and building maintenance. This is the first year the health system has the mandate.

“We recognized this flu season promised to be more intense than what we’ve seen in the past, and it's an effort to protect our staff and patients,” spokeswoman Lauren Stokes told AnnArbor.com.

Staff are able to decline the vaccines for religious, ethical and medical reasons by signing a declination form and completing counseling about the decision, Stokes said.

The University of Michigan Health System does not have a seasonal or H1N1 flu vaccine mandate for its staff, but is distributing and encouraging it among high priority groups there.

Vaccine shortage in state?

Wondering why there haven’t been nearly enough doses of the H1N1 flu virus vaccine in Washtenaw County?

The county is far from alone.

Fewer than 1 million doses of H1N1 vaccine have been sent to the state so far, but at least 5 million residents are considered part of the high-risk population who need the vaccine the most, the Detroit Free Press reported today.

Washtenaw County health officials say they're expecting more shipments of the vaccine, but have said they learn from the state on a week-by-week basis when and how much of the vaccine they might receive.

Upcoming swine flu clinic

Are you planning to attend the second mass H1N1 vaccination clinic in Washtenaw County Thursday? Give us updates about your experience by posting on the Web site, emailing news@annarbor.com or Tweeting about your experiences with the hash tag #H1N1WashCo.

County officials have said a total of 4,000 vaccinations will be available at the clinic, rather than 1,000 like the first clinic. It will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the convocation center at 799 North Hewitt Road in Ypsilanti.

Government sites aimed at viral spread of H1N1 information

Some government agencies are offering online tools to help spread information about the H1N1 flu virus.

For instance, those who would like to send a friendly reminder about hand-washing can send free e-cards care of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Visitors can also sign up for health updates via text message, lists of CDC Twitter feeds and reminders that can be easily added to Web sites there.

Want to see some of the latest products to take advantage of consumers’ H1N1 fears with fraudulent sales ideas?

The U.S. Food and Drug administration has an online widget that can be placed on blogs and Web sites that allows visitors to easily find the most up-to-date list of these fake H1N1 products.

Tina Reed covers health and the environment for AnnArbor.com. You can reach her at tinareed@annarbor.com, call her at 734-623-2535 or find her on Twitter @TreedinAA.