Wednesday, September 27, 2000
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Wednesday, September 27, 2000 |
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Flu vaccine shortages and delays expected Many Fayette County residents are aware of the yearly flu clinics provided by Health Department staff at the clinic, and at numerous sites (i.e. schools, industry, etc.) throughout the county. These clinics normally begin the last week of September or first week of October and continue into early December, or until the vaccine supply is depleted. This year, however, influenza vaccine manufacturers have told the FDA and CDC to expect delays in flu vaccine shipments and that it is possible that there will be a shortage of influenza virus vaccine for the 2000-01 flu season. The cause of the predicted delay in production is twofold. 1. One of the three components of the vaccine [influenza A (H3N2)] has not grown as well as anticipated, causing a decline in the rate and amount of vaccine production. 2. Two of the four manufacturers licensed to distribute the vaccine in the U.S. have had regulatory actions taken against them by the FDA. The implementation and review of any corrective actions taken by these two companies will take time. This situation will further impact vaccine production and distribution. Upon contacting the pharmaceutical company that supplies our influenza vaccine, we were advised not to expect shipment of the vaccine until mid-to-late October. District 4 Health Services and the CDC are encouraging all health departments not to schedule flu clinics until mid-to-late November and to have in place a plan to ensure that high risk patients receive vaccination if a severe shortfall occurs. Those considered to be at highest risk are: Persons over age 65; Adults and children aged 6 months and older who are immunosuppressed (i.e. long-term steroid treatment, chemo or radiation treatment for cancer, or HIV/AIDS or other diseases of the immune system); Adults and children 6 months and older with serious long-term illnesses (diabetes, heart and/or lung disease, kidney disease, asthma, anemia and other blood disorders); Children and teenagers (aged 6 months to 18 years) who are receiving long term aspirin therapy and therefore might be at risk for developing Reye Syndrome after influenza infection; Women who will be in the second or third trimester of pregnancy during the influenza season; and Health-care workers who have close contact, and family members who live with/care for persons at high risk for complications from influenza. The health department, as a result of the aforementioned manufacturing problems, has been unable to set a specific date for the start of flu vaccination as yet. It is not certain wether we will be able to hold a week-long, walk-in clinic as we normally do; nor can we schedule on-site flu clinics with the industries and schools. Our scheduling is dependent on information that is not available with any degree of certainty at this time. We will keep the community informed as more information becomes available. We appreciate the awareness and concern of those who have already called to ask about flu clinics. Please be assured that as soon as we are given a date when the vaccine will be shipped to us, we will notify the public through the local newspapers, and the health department's web site.
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