Flu Shots...in Short Supply...again!!!!!

[DISUNC]

"WASHINGTON - Flu vaccine makers will provide 115 million doses to the U.S. market this year, by far the most ever, but vexing distribution problems mean it may still be difficult to get a shot, health officials said Wednesday.....

Influenza kills an estimated 36,000 Americans, mostly elderly, in an average year and puts 200,000 into the hospital. Globally, flu kills 250,000 to 500,000 every year."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15320625/

Am I the only one who thinks that year, after year, after year The short supply of Flu shots is so WRONG????

 

[Uncle Remus]

"WASHINGTON - Flu vaccine makers will provide 115 million doses to the U.S. market this year, by far the most ever, but vexing distribution problems mean it may still be difficult to get a shot, health officials said Wednesday.....

Influenza kills an estimated 36,000 Americans, mostly elderly, in an average year and puts 200,000 into the hospital. Globally, flu kills 250,000 to 500,000 every year."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15320625/

Am I the only one who thinks that year, after year, after year The short supply of Flu shots is so WRONG????

Ya gotta ask yourself
Who's in charge?
Oh yeah , Bush.
Oh well.

 

[CEDmom]

They keep expanding the recipient base, now it's kids up to age 6 and unimmunized kids up to 12 I think - of course if someone doesn't immunize their kids I doubt they'd get them a flu shot .

 

[Charade]

Ya gotta ask yourself
Who's in charge?
Oh yeah , Bush.
Oh well.

Oh, pulllleeeeze!

 

[DISUNC]

It would be interesting to hear from 'Outside the USA' Disers on this one!

 

[Disney4Drew]

DS is 3 years old and just got his shot yesterday. He ends up hospitalized with severe asthma when he catchs a respiratory illness. I called way ahead of time, and he was the first child at his peds office to get the shot.

 

[Nik's Mom]

DS and I have asthma, so we get one every year. I also make sure my oldest ds gets a flu shot because my elderly mother lives with us and I don't want anyone passing the flu to her. Dh is stubborn and refuses to get the shot.

 

[aprilgail2]

My daughter got hers yesterday, they save her one every year, the kids that have red charts get flu shotsbefore the other kids with the yellow charts. My duaghter goes on the nebulizer for 2 weeks with just a cold so the flu would really knock her for a loop. I was talking tothe pediatritioan and asking if flu supplies were short again this year and she said they were. I mentioned that my 78 year old mom with COPD couldnt get one because her Dr was out of them already and she said she had 2 adult doses left and said to bring her in there today and she gave her one for me.

 

[Cool-Beans]

Our local grocery store is doing them, so there can't be THAT big a shortage.

 

[JudicialTyranny]

It's all just scare tactics by the media. And gee, right around election time - we've already had the typical Bush's Fault post.

The article says:

"Last year, 81.2 million doses of vaccine were available and a few went unused."

So wait - it says this year 115 million will be available by October, yet last year we had only 81.2 million and they didn't even all get used. Doesn't look like a problem to me.

I read another article a few weeks ago that said there will be more than enough available.

I'll be 39 next month and I've never had a flu shot in my life - and never had the flu as far as I can recall.

I think some of the "shortage" and "long lines" comes from hysteria. The 11 o'clock local news shows a long line somewhere giving away free flu shots (gee, a line for something free....) and people think they need to drop everything and run out and get a flu shot the next day - hence lines and "shortages".

I know in the county where I live, there were these hysterics going on last fall and lots of flu shots were ordered and a large number ended up getting thrown away after the hysterics subsided.

 

[spazzyjazzy]

From what we were told by our benefits folks at work is that they have enough shots but, they aren't able to get the serum to the people on time. My work gives free flu shots to us and our family members. We are having a health fair on the 25th and they said it may be a possibility to have the shots there if they get it on time.

 

[minkydog]

Wait a minute, no need to panic. the article says there will be delays in the distribution. Nothing about shortages. As far as i know, they have never distributed all the flu vaccine at the beginning of the season. Rather, in my experience, it is sent out at intervals so some providers will receive supplies early and some recieve them later. Healthy people can usually wait until December to get theirs; people with chronic illness need to go on an get the vaccine as soon as they can, since they are at higher risk.

 

[KimRaye]

I don't think there's a shortage this year. ALL the Walgreens and Jewel/Oscos in my area have had shots offered already and have more dates scheduled. I got my shot on Sat! Early for me, given the PAST shortages. Normally, I had to wait and, wait in LINE, for a shot in Nov. I'm thankful to have this done so soon! Only missed one year, 2 years ago, I think, due to shortage.

Hope everyone that needs/wants one, gets one!

 

[gobnu1]

Ya gotta ask yourself
Who's in charge?
Oh yeah , Bush.
Oh well.

Think again Republican basher. You people could blame Bush for a flat tire. We never had a shortage until US companies stopped making the vaccine. Why you ask?


"The major pharmaceutical companies in the US provided almost 90% of the nations flu vaccine at one time. They did this despite a very low profit margin for the product. Basically, they were doing us a favor. In the late 80's a man from North Carolina who had received the vaccine got the flu. The strain he caught was one of the strains in that years vaccine made by a US company. What did he do? He sued and he won. He was awarded almost $5 million! After that case was appealed and the appeal was lost, most US pharmaceutical companies stopped making the vaccine. The liability outweighed the profit margin. Since UK and Canadian laws prohibit such frivolous law suits, UK and Canadian companies began selling the vaccine in the US.

By the way...the lawyer that represented the man in the flu shot law suit was a young ambulance chaser by the name of John Edwards."

 

[wdwmom2]

I work at a ped's office and was told there is no shortage. Instead of getting our shipment all at one time, we are getting "installments", so many doses now, so many later.

The schools in the county were I work are giving Flumist in the schools for those that allowed to have that particular vaccine.

 

[Melrosgirl]

I've been trying for WEEKS to get my doc's office to let me schedule a flu shot appt and they won't do it until they have their supply in. They keep pushing the date back. My kids, OTOH, got theirs already from their doc.

 

[golfgal]

I agree, this isn't a supply issue it is a distribution issue. I know that in MN they are saying that there is a delay shipping the kid's version, the one that is the 2 dose shot for first time pediatric patients. Our grocery store has been having regular flu shot clinics, I got my shot on Monday, the kids will get their shots next week or so.

 

[noodleknitter]

Considering this is pretty early to start giving the shots, it isn't a big deal to "most" people to wait a couple of weeks.

The Media just needs something to fuss about.

 

[golfgal]

Considering this is pretty early to start giving the shots, it isn't a big deal to "most" people to wait a couple of weeks.

The Media just needs something to fuss about.

Depends on where you live I guess. The influenza usually hits our area around Christmas time so this is prime time to get the shot for us. If people have to wait until mid Nov, they probably won't have the protection they need. Although, last year the flu didn't hit until March and by then a lot of people's shot had worn off and they got the influenza anyway.

 

[golfgal]

This is the outbreak map from the CDC. Looks like there are some cases popping up already.