[lit-ideas] Lit-Ideas Flu Shots, continued

 
Hi, 
Oh, the  irony... 
Marlena in  Missouri 
Go Ahead And  Widen Flu Shots, CDC Tells States 
URL of this page: 
_http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_22593.html_ 
(http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_22593.html)   (*this 
news item will not be available after  02/25/2005) 
{PRIVATE  "TYPE=PICT;ALT=Reuters Health Information"} 
By Maggie Fox  
Wednesday, January  26, 2005

WASHINGTON  (Reuters) - Fearing that a flu vaccine shortage may turn into a 
glut, the  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Wednesday more 
people should  get shots so the vaccines don't go to waste.  
Many regions have  reported flu vaccine is going unclaimed. Agency officials 
fear if doses of  vaccine go unused, more people will catch the flu and 
manufacturers will be  reluctant to make more doses for next year.  
"What we are going  to encourage the states to do is to continue to focus 
their efforts on making  sure that we get the high-priority individuals 
vaccinated," CDC spokesman Tom  Skinner said.  
He said there were  "large numbers" of high-risk people - such as seniors, 
babies, pregnant woman  and those with chronic disease - who have not yet been 
vaccinated. Many people  reported they had tried but failed to get vaccine, 
while others heard about long  lines at the beginning of the flu season and did 
not even try to get one.  
"There are states  out there that have met their demand and we certainly do 
not want vaccine to go  unused," Skinner said in a telephone interview.  
"In those  jurisdictions where there are ample supplies of vaccine, we are 
supporting the  efforts of the states to further broaden the recommendation and 
vaccinate people  to make sure that vaccines does not go unused."  
At least 20 states  have already lifted all restrictions on who can get flu 
vaccine, including  Alabama, Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, 
Massachusetts, North Carolina  and others.  
There is still  plenty of reason to get vaccinated, Skinner said. "Our season 
has not peaked  yet," he said. "It is not out of the norm for flu to peak in 
February and as  late as March."  
The CDC always  struggles to persuade Americans to get vaccinated against 
influenza, which kills  36,000 people in an average year and puts 200,000 into 
the hospital.  
The agency says an  estimated 185 million people are at risk of severe 
complications from the  disease, which tends to produce different and often new 
strains every year.  
But only 80  million or so people get shots, meaning vaccine makers must 
throw away unsold  doses because the vaccine is reformulated every year. Three 
companies - Chiron  Corp., Aventis-Pasteur and MedImmune - make vaccine for the 
U.S. market.  
This year, an  effort to get a record 100 million people vaccinated and 
perhaps encourage more  companies to get back into the vaccine-making business 
fell 
apart when Chiron  lost its British factory license due to contamination.  
The CDC issued  strict recommendations to states that only those at highest 
risk of severe  complications from flu should get the shots. Lines formed at 
clinics, grocery  stores and elsewhere as mostly elderly patients scrambled to 
get vaccinated  before supplies ran out.  
The CDC fears that  companies will be frightened by this year's experience, 
and will avoid making  influenza vaccine. 



------------------------------------------------------------------
To change your Lit-Ideas settings (subscribe/unsub, vacation on/off,
digest on/off), visit www.andreas.com/faq-lit-ideas.html

Other related posts: