US Public Health Officials Predict Plenty of Flu Vaccine This Year
WASHINGTON (Reuters) Oct 25 – At least 70 million doses of influenza vaccine will be available for the U.S. market this year and everybody who wants a shot should be able to get one, health officials said on Monday.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention opened flu vaccination to everyone on Monday, saying the priority groups, such as seniors, who need the vaccine first had been given plenty of time to get them.
“There is no reason for anyone to delay or go without their annual flu shot,” Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt told reporters in a telephone briefing.
In a statement, the CDC said that providers with adequate supplies of vaccine should broaden their vaccination efforts “to include other people, especially 50-to-64 year-olds, who are interested in getting an influenza vaccination.”
Last week the CDC reported that too few Americans are getting vaccinated against flu.
So, go get a flu shot.
It really pisses me off to read articles like this. I am a solo FP in private practice and can’t get any flu vaccine. From discussions on Medscape many other docs are in the same boat. I am also the medical director for a local nursing home and they haven’t got the vaccine yet either.
The only vaccine approved up until last week was the Sanofi-Pasteur and that has sold out. Chiron was approved recently and that is starting to trickle out and I may or may not get any of that according to my supplier (Henry Schein). What happens is the big chains and organizations all get their vaccine first.
Now up until a couple of days ago only high-risk patients were supposed to be receiving the vaccine, but local chain pharmacies and grocery stores were holding vaccine clinics well before that date. One grocery store even had a drive-though clinic – how closely do you think they were following the high-risk guidelines?
I’m as economically libertarian as they come but the current distribution system sucks. I hate to suggest the government look at anything but maybe they need to take a look at this. I have hundreds of high-risk patients counting on me for their vaccine and I may or not be able to help them. Sorry for the rant.
GW –
If any of your patients are veterans, send them to the VA.
We have vaccine available. Caregivers for vets may also be able to get vaccinated as well (this varies by facility – we did this at my prior VA, but not where I currently work).
GW,
No, don’t apologize, thanks for the rant!