Large Amount of H1N1 Vaccine

The Buckeye State may have an over-abundance of the H1N1 vaccine.

Ohio Department of Health data show almost 1.5 million doses of vaccine statewide hit their expiration dates before they were used.

Local health officials say it may be because the health scare didn’t amount to much.

"If this virus had been a very lethal virus, the demand would have likely been much greater. When we ordered the vaccine, we didn’t know how serious the illness would be, " says Zanesville-Muskingum County Health Department Director of Nursing, Gloria Kieffer.

The health department says most health organizations ordered a large amount of the vaccine so it would have enough for anyone that wanted it, but it has already has to get rid of some.

"We’ve had some vaccine that expired, and we sent it with our hazardous waste, " says Kieffer.

Kieffer says there’s still about one thousand doses left at the health department that are usable, and she says it’s still receiving requests to get the vaccination.