Naval Hospital Bremerton began giving influenza vaccines at the hospital Monday to patients who fall into specific groups considered high risk for suffering severely from the effects of the flu.

Influenza vaccines are limited to these high-risk groups this year due to the nationwide vaccine shortage.

Approximately 1,000 vaccinations were given Monday to the high-risk patients, said Lt. Mary Graves, Naval Hospital Bremerton’s Preventive Medicine Department Head.

Those patients included children 6-24 months old, those over 65, and persons with chronic underlying conditions such as diabetes, asthma and heart disease.

Those who received the vaccine were contacted in writing mid November recommending they take the vaccine. 

The vaccines were to be given beginning at 9 a.m. at building HP 08, located near the helicopter pad adjacent to the overflow parking lot in back of the hospital.  However, Graves said they began giving the shots at 8 a.m. due to the number of people waiting.

“I arrived at about 7 a.m.,” Graves said, “and there were already people waiting.  Some of them showed up early purposely because they were concerned that we’d run out vaccine.  We began just as soon as the vaccine arrived.”

Graves said there is plenty of vaccine to cover the 5,000-plus people who received the letters. 

Flu vaccines will continue to be given weekdays from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. through Dec. 17, said Graves. Children 4 and under will be vaccinated in the Immunization Clinic located on the second floor of the hospital’s new Family Practice wing, and all others will continue to be given at building HP 08. 

Graves said patients do not need to bring a health record.  Those patients who meet the criteria to receive the vaccine but were not notified by letter will be screened where vaccines are given.