Can I cross the state border for the H1N1 vaccine?

October 29, 2009 11:47 AM

H1N1: I have a health condition that makes me a priority patient for the H1N1 vaccine. My county is currently only offering the vaccine to children and pregnant women. However, I live right on the border between two states, and the adjacent county in the next state is offering it to all high risk groups. Can I get it there? Is there a residency requirement? Will they ask me for identification?
posted by HotToddy to Health & Fitness (16 answers total)

Why don't you just call a clinic across the border and ask?
posted by musofire at 11:53 AM on October 29, 2009

Response by poster: Because I'm going to try to get it there anyway, and I want to know what I'm walking into.
posted by HotToddy at 11:56 AM on October 29, 2009

I think it's easier to say no to people over the phone than in person. I'd go over and tell them your situation, including that you're in a high risk group. Give it a shot, no pun intended.
posted by terrierhead at 11:57 AM on October 29, 2009

Can I get it there?
Maybe.

Is there a residency requirement?
Maybe.

Will they ask me for identification?
Maybe.

If you told us the county/state where you're planning on going, that would be helpful for both a) finding the official policy, and b) anyone with personal knowledge offering information on unofficial procedure.

Why don't you just call a clinic across the border and ask?
Because I'm going to try to get it there anyway, and I want to know what I'm walking into.

I don't see why that would prevent you from calling a clinic and asking.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 12:14 PM on October 29, 2009 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Sorry, oversight. I want to get it in Whitman County, Washington. I'm worried about asking on the phone because, as terrierhead noted, it's a lot easier for them to say no on the phone than in person.
posted by HotToddy at 12:16 PM on October 29, 2009

I just took my kids to the county H1N1 shots today. I had to present my license in the reception area and they gave me a little bit of a hard time because I live in a town that straddles two counties and warned me that when I got to the nurse's station my card would be swiped and if I was not actually a resident, I would be turned away. I got there, they swiped it and I was fine but they were obviously not very flexible AT ALL about the residency requirement. It may be different where you live, but it is definitely worth checking what (if any) proof of residency they require.
posted by jrossi4r at 12:29 PM on October 29, 2009

I just heard secondhand about someone whose kid is high-risk and they were able to get him vaccinated in Iowa even though they live in Minnesota. I suspect every vaccination site is kind of making up its own rules.
posted by lakeroon at 12:35 PM on October 29, 2009

Don't know if you saw this already, but it looks like Whitman County (officially) requires appointments to get the vaccine, so unless unofficial procedure differs from official policy, you'd need to call anyway to make the appointment. (Also, the number for the "Whitman County Flu Line" near the bottom of that page sounds like that's just a recorded message, so you might try that.)
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 12:35 PM on October 29, 2009 [2 favorites]

I think your best bet is to call them and say, "I'm in a high-risk group and want to come in and get an H1N1 shot. Do I need to bring any proof of residency with me? If so, what kind?" There's no need to tell them over the phone that you reside in a different county, or to give them any identifying information about yourself — just let them assume that you're a resident of their county when they answer your question. Convenient omission is your friend here.
posted by Johnny Assay at 12:40 PM on October 29, 2009 [9 favorites]

I think it's probably going to be different in each state/county according to the procedures of the local health authority. I didn't have to show any ID at all.
posted by Skwirl at 1:18 PM on October 29, 2009

I live in one county and work in another. I'm in a priority group because I have direct patient contact. I went to the health department in the county where I work, wrote down my home address for them, and had no problems whatsoever. I am not in Washington, though.
posted by Stewriffic at 1:21 PM on October 29, 2009

Before getting too worked up, verify that your health condition and the type of shot available match up. I'm supposed to get the dead vaccine for my immuno-compromised condition, and my county only has the live vaccine right now.
posted by saffry at 2:51 PM on October 29, 2009

Got the vaccine in our county - but we did have to provide ID. They vaccinated anyone, regardless of health conditions, but only if you had ID.
posted by clarkstonian at 4:38 PM on October 29, 2009

In the DC metro area, they were allowing people to cross state lines to get the vaccine. The rules were different in each state, but that was ok.
posted by procrastination at 5:42 PM on October 29, 2009

You probably are aware of this, but do not get the nasal vaccine. It contains a live virus, which people who are immunocomprimised should not get. You may have to prove that you have a condition that warrants the shot because a lot of places have larger quantities of the nasal "flu mist" vaccine than they do of the non-live arm vaccine.
posted by k8lin at 6:49 PM on October 29, 2009

Response by poster: Thank you all for your help, and good point about the dead vs. live vaccine. They are saying they have the injectable vaccine for pregnant women, in limited quantities, so that has to be the dead one. I just have to hope they'll let me have it.
posted by HotToddy at 8:06 PM on October 29, 2009