By Mike LaBella
The Eagle-Tribune
HAVERHILL, Mass. — Firefighters began receiving their H1N1 flu shots yesterday after what fire Chief Richard Borden called a series of misunderstandings, which prevented the vaccinations from taking place Monday.
“The only reason that the vaccinations were delayed was to make sure that 100 percent of the firefighters that respond to emergencies would have the opportunity to be vaccinated,” Borden said yesterday.
“It was not clear to me (on Monday) that 100 percent of the department would be able to be vaccinated.”
He said additional doses became available yesterday morning and that firefighters began getting their shots at noon in City Hall.
Borden said flu shots also will be offered tomorrow and that any firefighter who wants to be vaccinated, but has not received a flu shot by Friday, will be given additional chances.
He said fire dispatch workers were instructed to contact off-duty firefighters to notify them of the availability of the vaccine.
Mayor James Fiorentini said he met Borden yesterday morning and asked him to do whatever was necessary to make sure firefighters got their shots.
“The chief, much to his credit, resolved all of the difficulties and as of noon firefighters began getting their flu shots,” Fiorentini said. “I’m glad it was resolved.”
Fiorentini said he also met with firefighters union President Paul Weinburgh to say his members would get their flu shots.
Weinburgh could not be reached for comment.
“What the public needs to know is that we need to keep our force healthy,” Fiorentini said.
Monday, Weinburgh said he was notified by Sue Najuch, the city’s public health nurse, that she had vaccine available for firefighters.
Weinburgh said fire deputies began sending personnel to City Hall and then Borden put a stop to it.
Weinburgh said he spoke to Fiorentini Monday afternoon about the delay and that the mayor agreed with him that the firefighters should have been given the vaccine as soon as it was available.
“The union president did not call the office for clarification on what was going on,” Borden said yesterday.
Borden had said it was unclear whether the state was going to be able to provide enough vaccine for all his firefighters so his plan was to use the unexpected city shipment for non-EMTs, for whom vaccine coverage had not yet been worked out.
Weinburgh said there are only three firefighters who are not EMTs and that Borden was upset at his deputies for sending firefighters to City Hall on Monday before discussing it with him.
Borden responded yesterday saying there are eight members of his department who are not EMTs, not including two office workers, and that any issue of a deputy making an announcement without his knowledge has been resolved.
“In the interest of making sure and verifying we would have doses for everyone, I said let’s put a hold on this and start it tomorrow,” Borden said about his decision on Monday to put a hold on vaccinations.
He added that the city’s health nurse failed to notify his office on Monday that a number of doses of flu vaccine were available that day.
Police officials said many police officers in Haverhill got the swine flu shot Nov. 5 and that officers were given the option of getting the vaccine yesterday or tomorrow.
Copyright 2009