Flu shots are running scarce in several Massachusetts cities and towns. Rite Aid and CVS representatives say the pharmacies have a ready supply.?
Massachusetts' flu-case tally has hit 6,000, and 18 people have died. Cities and towns are running out of flu shots, and hospitals are expanding their emergency rooms. But the problems here look much like those in states across the nation.
Boston's Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center opened another wing to handle the added flow of patients, Bloomberg reports.
?We?ve expanded as much as we can and opened up an area of beds,? Stephen Epstein, an emergency room physician at Beth Israel Deaconess, told Bloomberg. ?The hospital is full. We?re holding admitted patients in the ER.?
Meanwhile, aa hospital in Pennsylvania reportedly had to set up a tent to expand its emergency room to handle the flow of flu patients.
Gov. Deval Patrick declined to declare a statewide public health emergency, as Boston Mayor Thomas Menino did this week. ?It?s important to highlight that Massachusetts is one of more than two dozen states that are experiencing high levels of flu activity,? said interim Public Health Commissioner Lauren Smith at a press conference on Thursday, according to MetroWest Daily News.
Patrick reportedly said the state has a ready supply of flu vaccine, and encouraged residents to take advantage of a statewide free flu shot program.
However, city and town public health programs in Framingham, Lowell, Natick and Somerville have said they are out of flu shots and have discontinued flu vaccine clinics, the Boston Herald reports. CVS and Rite Aid representatives said the pharmacies are restocking to ensure an adequate supply. Boston public health officials are also adding a fresh supply of vaccine in preparation for weekend flu-shot clinics.
The Catholic Archdiocese of Boston on Thursday announced that parish priests will be permitted to forego the traditional sharing of Communion wine from a common chalice. Priests may also encourage congregants to exchange the ?Sign of Peace? by bowing, instead of shaking hands.
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