NEW YORK, Oct. 5 (UPI) -- U.S. primary care doctors, especially pediatricians, are not prepared for the nationwide drive to immunize everyone against swine flu, several doctors said.
The first doses of vaccine will be released to doctors by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, The New York Times reported Monday. Pediatricians say they must figure out how to administer a large number of doses quickly in small offices with limited manpower, while handling the normal demands of their practices.
One solution is to hire nurses just for the duration of the vaccinations, doctors said. Some doctors may set aside days for vaccinations and call in children in alphabetical order, the newspaper said.
Doctors say even their normally well-informed patients don't understand that they don't have the vaccine yet and are swamping the telephone lines with questions.
Some medical offices are adding a selection to voice mail programs advising callers to check the CDC Web site.
