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Flu Shots Have Flown

Seasonal and swine flu vaccine in short supply

by Britt Combs

Jane Townsend (right) kept up a cheerful stream of small talk while giving Marion Elementary second-grader Charlotte Moore a flu shot. Did it hurt? "No," said Moore, "it was just a pinch."

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CDC nasal flu vaccination Q&A

By Britt Combs | The McDowell News

Published: October 21, 2009

Concerns about both seasonal and swine (or "H1N1") flu are becoming more pressing with the changing of the seasons. Flu shot clinics are a regular feature each autumn and 2009 is no exception.

But this year the seasonal flu vaccine is in a far shorter supply than usual, according Rutherford-Polk-McDowell District Health Department Interim Director Phillip Melton.

"We have dispensed what we were able to get," of seasonal flu vaccines, he said. "We got word from our major suppliers that we are not going to get the seasonal flu vaccine in the quantity we had wanted."

On Monday, some kids at Marion Elementary School were able to get vaccinated against the flu, thanks to a state pilot program.

Jane Townsend, vaccination coordinator, said there were some 300 doses of the intravenous vaccine for the seasonal flu and about 30 of the new nasal mist inoculations available.

The swine flu vaccine has been coming in, but only in small quantities, she explained.

"We've run through 70 doses of the H1N1 (vaccine). We only get it a little at a time," she said, "so it has gone to the highest risk (candidates)."

Kids and their guardians were lined up, hoping for a chance to get the immunization -- some less enthusiastically than others, since kids and shots are age-old adversaries.

The latest word from the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services is that "a vaccine for the H1N1 flu is expected to be available in late fall 2009." DHHS literature urges people: "Do not wait for the H1N1 vaccine to arrive; get your seasonal flu vaccine first."

On Wednesday, The Associated Press quoted sources from the Centers for Disease Control saying that the swine flu vaccine is currently in production, but well behind schedule. It will not be commonly available until "mid-November" the report stated.

The slower-than-usual arrival of vaccine against the seasonal flu may be attributed to the rush to get the swine flu vaccine on the market. The AP reported that 82 million doses of the seasonal flu vaccine have been shipped, but shortages around the country are not uncommon, as manufacturers have scrambled to produce a vaccine for the headline-grabbing swine flu.

McDowell Hospital Community Relations Director Linda Cloherty said hospital employees have been immunized against the seasonal flu, and they are currently getting swine flu shots.

"We just received our first batch (of swine flu shots) last week, for employees only," she stated, "and we don't have enough even for all our employees."

The hospital was able to immunize 90 seniors against the seasonal flu Tuesday at the Senior Center.

Kevin Rogers speaks for the health department in all matters flu-related. He agreed the supply of seasonal flu vaccines was limited.

"We're getting them out as fast as we can, at the rate we get them from the state," he stated. "It's difficult to schedule a flu shot clinic, because we never know how many doses we'll have or when we will get them.

"If we don't have them, that doesn't mean they're not available," Rogers added. He said large pharmacy chains and retailers bought large batches earlier. He suggested checking the Web site of Maxim Health Systems, a major manufacturer of flu vaccines, for availability of flu shot clinics in the area.

A check of their Web site revealed no flu shot clinics in the McDowell area; just one, in Fairview in Buncombe County, in the coming week.

Some doctors' offices report the same short supply. A spokesperson at McDowell Family Medicine said seasonal flu shots might be available later this week. She added that it is still early in the year to be worried about seasonal flu, as the season is typically November through April.

Swine flu shots, she said, are available now, but only for those in high-risk groups.

The state DHHS includes among high-risk groups: pregnant women, those who live with or care for children under 6 months of age, healthcare and emergency medical workers, those between 6 months and 24 years of age, and adults ages 25 to 64 with chronic health disorders or compromised immune systems.

While there aren't precise counts, states have reported more than 2,000 deaths from pneumonia or flu-like illnesses to the CDC since Aug. 30, the AP reported. In an average year, seasonal flu contributes to the deaths of about 36,000 Americans.

Distinguishing between the seasonal and swine varieties in the typical patient is difficult or impossible. The McDowell Hospital is only testing patients for the swine flu after they are admitted to the intensive care unit. A typical nasal swab for flu will not distinguish between strains of the flu.

Health experts tend to agree that flu vaccinations are safe for pregnant women, even recommended, due to the high risk associated with flu, especially during the late stages of pregnancy.

But Dr. Roger Harms of the Mayo clinic cautioned pregnant women to get the shot, not the nasal vaccinations, which contains live, but weakened, viruses.

The nasal vaccine has tended to hit the market earlier, due to its being produced more quickly, according to a statement from Maxim Health Systems.

The CDC recommends the nasal vaccine only for healthy people between the ages of 2 and 49. It is not recommended for pregnant women, kids who are taking aspirin, those with asthma or respiratory conditions, people with a history of Guillain–Barré Syndrome that occurred after receiving influenza vaccine or anyone with an allergy to chicken eggs.