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| **Local Contents**�"Centers"    at CDC�Summaries Archive�Global Health Odyssey�Media Relations Home Page�Disease Links�Press Releases�On-Line Publications�*MMWR* Fact Sheets�Calendar of Events�Email Us                     |  | September 28, 2000  Contact: CDC, Division of Media Relations**(404) 639�3286**
**Update: Flu Vaccine Supply**
***Important Actions Taken to Reach High Risk Persons With Flu Vaccine Despite   Delays This Season***

Today public health officials announced that flu vaccine supplies should be approximately what was  distributed last year; however, they also noted a substantial amount of vaccine will reach providers later  than usual. In June, influenza vaccine manufacturers told federal public health officials to expect delays  in flu vaccine shipments this flu season and possible shortages.

Flu vaccine is the best tool to prevent severe illness and death related to influenza among the elderly  and chronically ill in the United States. CDC�s overriding public health concern has been to prevent  hospitalizations and deaths, especially among high risk persons, that could result from an insufficient  supply of flu vaccine. Therefore, since June, CDC has been developing contingency plans and if needed, CDC  has guaranteed the production of up to 9 million doses of additional influenza vaccine to make up for  possible shortfalls experienced by some of the vaccine manufacturers.

The Food and Drug Administration estimates that 66 million doses will be available from manufacturers  through normal production plus 9 million doses to be guaranteed by CDC for a total of 75 million doses. The  75 million doses this flu season should meet the expected usual annual demand. During last year�s flu  season in the United States, an estimated 74 million doses were distributed to providers from the 80 to 85  million doses produced. Although a severe flu vaccine shortfall is no longer expected, the vaccine delays  will continue to challenge influenza vaccination efforts this flu season in the United States.

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) met Sept. 28, by teleconference, to review  recommendations about the timing and priority of flu vaccination in the United States for this upcoming flu  season.****The first public health priority is to help ensure high risk persons who choose to be  vaccinated can obtain vaccine to help prevent the flu and complications related to influenza illness. The  ACIP recommended the following:
- As vaccine first becomes available, vaccination efforts should be focused on persons at high risk of    complications associated with influenza disease and on health care workers (Health care workers should be    vaccinated to stop the potential spread to vulnerable persons). These efforts should continue into    December and later, as long as influenza vaccine is available.    
- Mass vaccination campaigns should be scheduled later in the season as availability of vaccine is    assured. Increase efforts to vaccinate high risk persons and their household contacts, but other     persons need not be turned away.    
- Special efforts should be undertaken in December and later to vaccinate persons 50-64 years of age who    are not at high risk and are not household contacts of high risk persons.    
- Immunization efforts for all groups (e.g., high risk persons, health care workers, household contacts    of high risk persons, other persons 50-64 years of age, and other people who wish to decrease their risk    of influenza) should continue into December and later, as long as influenza vaccine is available.    
- Assuring pneumoccocal vaccination of high risk persons early in the influenza season, in accordance    with ACIP recommendations, will confer substantial protection from a major complication of influenza,    secondary bacterial pneumonia, but is not a substitute for influenza vaccine.

The degree of delay for individual providers will vary, depending on the vaccine manufacturer,  distributor, and when vaccine was ordered. Officials urge high risk persons to remain patient but persistent  as they work with their health care provider to obtain their annual flu vaccination. At the same time, CDC  will be working with states, industry and health systems to help providers obtain vaccine for high risk  persons. For example, this fall a new CDC Internet website will help providers and distributors make contact  about where to obtain additional influenza vaccine supplies.

In previous flu seasons, although the number has been increasing, only about half of the 70 to 76 million  persons CDC estimates are at high risk for complications from flu have received vaccine. The high risk  populations include approximately 35 million persons aged 65 years or older, 33 to 39 million persons less  that 65 years of age with high-risk medical conditions, and 2 million pregnant women.

Although the vaccine supply this year should be sufficient to meet the usual demand, the situation  remains fluid and some questions about supply and demand will remain unanswered until much later into the  flu season. All influenza vaccine for use in the United States is produced in the private sector and  virtually all flu vaccine is distributed in the United States through private-sector distributors for use by  health care providers.

The public and private communities will continue to work closely together to ensure the availability of  influenza vaccine for the season and to minimize the adverse impact of delays. For more information about  influenza disease and influenza vaccine visit CDC at www.cdc.gov.

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Note: Additional information about the ACIP recommendations and HHS activities for this flu season will  be reported in CDC�s Oct. 6 *MMWR.*
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This page last reviewed September 28, 2000**URL:URL: http://www.cdc.gov/od/oc/media/pressrel/r2k0928.htm**
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