Swine flu hits Lincoln High hard
PORTLAND, Ore. - Nearly 400 students at Lincoln High School are out sick with what health officials believe is the swine flu.
That's about 25 percent of the student population. Health officials say none of the students have been hospitalized.
As for the vaccine, the state just learned that Oregon will be getting less than previously believed. Instead of one million doses by the end of November, Oregon will be getting 690,000.
Health officials here say they have no idea how much vaccine will be coming in next week. They expect more of the swine flu shots to arrive every week, but problems in production are slowing down distribution across the country.
At the H1N1 operations center in Portland, officials said they are investigating outbreaks at some local schools.
"We are certainly hearing reports of a lot of students out ill," said Dr. Mel Kohn, State Public Health Director.
Emergency room doctors are reporting a surge in patients coming in who have flu symptoms. They say most do not need emergency treatment and by going to the ER, they may be exposing themselves to other viruses.
Local medical clinics also say there are phones ringing off the hook with people wondering about the flu vaccine and they urge people to be patient.