[lit-ideas] Lit-Ideas Flu Shots, continued
- From: Eternitytime1@xxxxxxx
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sun, 30 Jan 2005 21:24:37 EST
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.
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