Running out of vaccine

[Freetobeme]

Just a couple of weeks ago we (as state employees) were told there was plenty of flu vaccine this year. Then the clinics for employees to get shots started being rescheduled to later (undetermined) dates. Now this is in the news.

 

http://www.azcentral.com/php-bin/clicktr...lushots-ON.html

 

Clinics almost out of flu vaccine

 

 

Kerry Fehr-Snyder

The Arizona Republic

Nov. 3, 2005 07:25 PM

 

Providers of flu shots in Arizona are rapidly running out of vaccine, with the largest operation expected to close its grocery-store clinics after Saturday.

 

The situation has caught the attention of state leaders, including Gov. Janet Napolitano, who called Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt on Thursday to complain. Vaccines are made by private companies, but the federal government has stepped in before to even out distribution.

 

"We're frustrated, the governor's frustrated and we want some answers," said Michael Murphy, spokesman for the state health department.

 

The shortage comes about six weeks after the vaccines became available, and during that time providers had mainly sought to vaccinate people who are most at risk of flu complications, such as the elderly. Providers said many of that population received shots, but many more still want them.

 

"We were supposed to have clinics that go through Thanksgiving," said clinic operator Dr. Art Mollen, whose Mollen Clinics, the state's largest provider, will close its locations at five grocery and pharmacy chains after Saturday.

 

Mollen ordered several hundred thousand doses of flu this year. It had expected to receive 50,000 doses this week but instead got only 500 from vaccine maker Chiron Corp.

 

Chiron announced last month that because of production problems it would be supplying fewer doses than expected. Last year, the company threw away nearly 40 million doses, about half the nation's flu vaccine supply, because of contamination problems.

 

Even if distributors deliver more flu shots to Mollen, he said he likely won't reopen the grocery-store clinics and instead will give the vaccine at senior centers, nursing homes and other venues.

 

Federal health officials maintain there's enough flu vaccine being made this year to meet demand, provided people are patient. Four manufacturers have said they will produce 78 million doses, up from the 61 million doses produced last year.

 

But doctors, patients and now two clinic operators in Arizona say they can't get flu vaccines, and the spot shortages appear to be more widespread. Similar shortages are being reported in other areas, including Washington, D.C.

 

"Everyone's saying it's just a delay, but all the flu shots are running out," said Dr. Diana Koss, a geriatrician in Sun City. "This is very frightening."

 

Koss said she ordered 400 flu shots for her patients this year but has only received 100 of them. She went through about half of those in one day, saying Thursday, "They're as good as gone now."

 

Two of Koss's patients, Irene and Klaus Bingelli of Glendale, have been trying unsuccessfully to get flu shots for weeks now. Irene is 66; Klaus is 77 and has Alzheimer's disease.

 

"I wasn't worried until now," Irene said after learning of the tight flu shot supply.

 

This is the second year in a row that the country has experienced a flu shot shortage but the fifth year in which delays and spot shortages have been seen.

 

In addition to the governor's call, Susan Gerard, director of the Arizona Department of Health Services, complained about the shortages Thursday to Julie Gerberding, director of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

 

CDC officials said they would try to determine how much vaccine is in the distribution pipeline to Arizona and whether federal officials can re-direct shots to Arizona, said Murphy, the health department spokesman.

 

In addition to Mollen, Healthwaves Corp. said it ran out of flu shots that it had planned to give at workplace and community center clinics.

 

"We've been having problems since the very beginning," said Ted Hedberg, the company's vice president. "Most of our shipments have been very small. We've received less than 10 percent of our pre-booked order of 150,000 doses."

 

CDC officials maintain that people need to be patient and that it's not too late to get a flu shot in November or December.

 

"November and December are still ample time to get your flu shot," CDC spokeswoman Lola Russell said.

 

It takes about two weeks after receiving a flu shot to build immunity to the virus. The flu season typically peaks nationally in January, although flu activity in Arizona can peak as late as February or March. This year, the first death from flu complications was on Oct. 21.

 

Mollen said if vaccine doesn't become available again until December, it may be too late, as people will have lost interest. Last year, vaccine was distributed so late that manufacturers still dumped shots at the end of the season.

 

"How frustrating it is for me to be in this kind of business and then people getting upset with me," Mollen said. "The demand for flu shots is now, and historically the demand in January and February wanes.

 

"It's at best a frustrating situation for everybody, from grocery store chains to me to patients."

 

 

 

[Guest Guest]

I haven't heard anything about that here. Flu clinics for State employees are not supposed to start until late this month, as they believe that the flu season will begin later this year. It will be interesting to see if they are cancelled. Cavey is high risk and still needs one. I'll be checking into this. Thanks GH.

[Freetobeme]

We have already had cases of the flu here. One fatal.

[redhenfarm]

They are still offering flu shots here. They started last month with "at risk" folks going first and now anyone can get them.

The supply of this stuff is interesting. I used to have to write up the order for flu vaccine in June to send out in time to get our supply. It all comes from one place. I understand last year with the "bad batches" there being a shortage. I wonder if more people are concerned and think this will help the Avian flu also?

[Freetobeme]

The thing with the regular flu and avian flu is if you have both, they can swap genetic material creating an avian flu that is easily transmitted person to person. If they can't even get it right with flu vaccines that have been around for awhile, what do you think would be the situation with the avian flu vaccine, assuming they developed one before an outbreak?

[redhenfarm]

This morning our local news is now saying there are some shortages but a spokesperson from CDD says there was plenty of vaccine - if there are shortages it is because the local folks didn't order enough. As I stated above - you have to order early in the summer. A nurse I used to work with guesstimated how much we needed and we usually had more than we needed. She would order enough for the entire student population and some for staff. Eventually they quit feeling they had to supply it to staff but I think that's a mistake because it's a campus setting where employees are working as teachers, dorm staff, those of us in the clinic, support services who also have contact with the students. The last year I was when the students returned from Winter Break (Christmas to the rest of us) one of the Hawaiian kids came back with a flu that quickly spread among students and staff. I've been wondering what they will do with the Avian flu. If it's like they dealt with HIPPA, they waited until the week it went into effect and then told us to get 500 some releases signed. We had months to prepare but the powers that be call the shots. I sure hope they do better if Avian flu hits.

[Homesteader]

Supplies are still fine here. DH got his last week and there was no waiting. He was in and out in 5 minutes. Last year we had to go 3 times and wait for a long time before he could get his shot. Sure hope we don't get a nationwide shortage this year like last year was.

[gardnmom]

After reading how the Avian Flu attacks, I would think that it would be more important to get the pneumonia shot than the flu vaccine. The Avian Flu kills because it so quickly turns to pneumonia.

[shadypines]

Quote:

After reading how the Avian Flu attacks, I would think that it would be more important to get the pneumonia shot than the flu vaccine. The Avian Flu kills because it so quickly turns to pneumonia.

Lois,
I quite agree with you. Fortunately, this was my year
to get my pneumonia shot and my flu shot. The pneumonia
shot is good for five years. I have one very sore arm
but I am up to date on all my shots.

[crystalniche]

Evening everyone!!!!

We got a sick heifer here on the Cripple G...B.R.D. and she is bad...vet is coming back out tomorrow morning...say a prayer for her...she is named Star..and is a beautiful little Jersey..

Getting back to the flu shot...Hubby and I went and got ours yesterday after being told that if we wait until appt. time the 22nd. that the vaccine maybe be gone...WOW...

So we went on it...after we got the shot my hubby just ask jokingly if that protected him from the bird flu also...the nurse responded...Yes...we hope so"...We just kinda looked at each other...knew there wasn't suppose to be a vaccine for the avian flu???

Talked to our regular nurse and she said yes that it is suppose to be a protection that is why they held off giving it and why it was running out...

HAs anyone else heard of this???

I do not know That I would have took it if I had know that it contained something for the bird flu and that they didn't know if it would work or not...

So far we have felt okay...KAtG

[Freetobeme]

The only way flu shots are helping with the avian flu at this point is to keep the person from having the avian flu and another type of flu at the same time. You can still get the avian flu, but chances are you won't have another type with it. If a person has the avian flu and another type at the same time, the two strains can exchange genetic material creating a new avian flu that would be easily transmitted from person to person. Thus the big push to have people vaccinated.