What's With This Flu Shot Crisis?

[Jenya]

Shortage Produces Long Lines For Flu Shots

BY: DONALD BRADLEY
The Kansas City Star

Friday October 15, 2004

KANSAS CITY, MO-- yThe first person in line for a flu shot arrived Thursday before the sun.

“About 6 this morning,” said a security guard at a Price Chopper store in Independence.

That was eight hours before two nurses began administering the vaccine to senior citizens. At one time, the line ran from the nurses' station in the front of the store, down the dog food aisle and then veered right toward the liquor section.

Some of the seniors brought lawn chairs.

“What number they on now?” a woman asked.

Told 30, she sighed and held up her number: 158.

Management eventually posted a sign on the front doors: “No more flu shots today. Come back tomorrow.”

The scene played out at groceries across the area as Kansas City and the country confronted a shortage of flu vaccine caused by the contamination of a major manufacturer's supply. Officials in Missouri and Kansas were working with local and county health departments to determine need and supply.

The national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will use the information to develop a strategy to reroute available vaccine to high-risk categories of seniors, young children, pregnant women and adults with heart disease, blood disorders and other maladies.

For now, healthy adults are being asked to wait.

“We're getting lots of calls from nursing homes and hospitals,” said Sharon Watson, spokeswoman for the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.

By late Thursday, nearly 400 health departments in Kansas had responded to need-and-supply questions.

“Surprisingly, some said they had enough vaccine and offered to share what they could with other agencies,” Watson said.

Missouri health officials also learned Thursday that the state would get its 80,000-dose allotment for uninsured and underinsured children.

Terri Murphy, owner of Health Solutions Inc., said her company was vaccinating about 4,000 people — mostly senior citizens — Thursday at 42 Kansas City-area groceries.

It was a day of long lines and short patience.

“There are a lot of frustrated people out there,” Murphy said. “But we're doing the best we can, and we're happy to have the supply we do have to help this community through this.”

She declined to say how much vaccine her company had on hand, but she said nurses would vaccinate thousands of people in the next few days.

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson said Thursday that Americans should not expect imports of flu shots from Canada or other countries to ease the shortage.

The Food and Drug Administration is in discussions with two companies that sell flu vaccine in Canada and elsewhere and has found a few million unsold doses. But that vaccine is not licensed for sale in the United States, and meeting FDA requirements in time for the flu season is doubtful, Thompson said.

If foreign supplies met certain conditions, Thompson said, that might allow some to be offered as experimental vaccine. But even that determination could take too long.

Thompson's comments came after President Bush suggested in Wednesday's presidential debate that Canadian supplies might ease the vaccine shortage.

Also Thursday, Thompson sent a letter to the attorney general of every state urging aggressive prosecution of vaccine price-gouging.

The CDC advises anyone in the following categories to be vaccinated:

• People 65 and older.

• Children 6 months to 23 months.

• Adults and children over 2 with chronic lung or heart disorders.

• Pregnant women.

• Adults and children over 2 with chronic metabolic diseases such as diabetes, kidney diseases and blood disorders. Also, anyone with weakened immune systems, including those with HIV/AIDS.

• Children and teenagers 6 months to 18 years who take aspirin daily.

• Nursing home residents.

• Household members and out-of-home caregivers of infants.

• Health care workers who provide hands-on care to patients.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

[EmoJoe]

I did a current even on this.

[¤I Love Clay Aiken¤]

Its the samn damn thing every year. OMG WE HAVE TO GET A FLU SHOT. Ugh. I havent had a flu shot in years.. I know I was under 15, and I get a few colds a year, and one bad stomache flu for a day. Thats it. Yah, if youre really old or just a baby its good to get, but other than that, just eat healthy and take some vitamins.

[Jrnygrl]

The last time I got a flu shot, I got the flu.

[MandieR1980]

I've never had a flu shot and I never get the flu I think it's all hype. Take care of yourself and you won't get sick!

[James"Thunder"Early]

What happened was a company called Chiron that produces the shots contaminated them in their plant in Liverpool. so there are none left. I heard about one lady in Oakland who was waiting in line. it was so hot she collapsed and hit her head and later died.
the best thing to do is wash your hands constantly and mix bee pollen and honey with water and drink it every morning and to up your Vitamin C.

[Dutabi84]

Flu shots are overrated. Take your flu like man!!!

[crystals]

I never bother with getting a flu shot any year. My dad gets one because he works in public transportation and is contact with a lot of people on a daily basis. I don't usually get the flu, anyway. I'll get sick for a few hours sometimes and either puke or feel dizzy and fall over on rare occasions, but except for the odd cold, I'm very healthy. I can see if a person is over 50 years old or so and working in a public place or they're a baby, but other than the usual people who should be vaccinated, they shouldn't bother getting the shot. The best thing I do when I'm sick is take vitamin C pills a lot and multi-vitamins.

[sara]

Michigan recently made it illegal go give the flu shot to anyone whose not at risk.

[Kay Scarpetta]

Originally posted by Jenya

• Also, anyone with weakened immune systems

I was born with an IgG2 subclass immune deficiency. That's why I'm constantly sick. I've got to get the flu shot every year, no matter what, or I usually end up with walking pneumonia. I get bronchitis every winter as it is.

[Kazza]

Originally posted by Jrnygrl
The last time I got a flu shot, I got the flu.

I double ditto that.! The first thing I did when moving to TX was getting a flu shot; the next thing I did was lie down on a bed for a week sick as a dog!

[Sterling Holobyte]

Originally posted by ¤I Love Clay Aiken¤
just eat healthy and take some vitamins.

And don't touch your eyes or nose when you are out and about and in contact with people.