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September 8, 2010

No sweat getting flu vaccine this season, officials report

Three-in-one vaccine this year should result in fewer lines and plenty of available shots.

By Andrew M. Seder aseder@timesleader.com
Times Leader Staff Writer
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Finding a spot to roll up your sleeve for a flu shot this year should be much easier, local and national health officials said.

That’s a 180-degree turn from the situation many seeking the vaccine encountered in 2009.

This time last year, many Americans were scrambling to protect themselves against an anticipated swine flu pandemic. Vaccines were in short supply and vaccine makers, including Sanofi Pasteur in Swiftwater, went on a round-the-clock production cycle to meet the increased demands.

But a three-in-one shot being produced this year should result in fewer lines at clinics and plenty of available shots.

“Everything looks good,” said Donna Cary, director of public relations for Sanofi Pasteur. She said millions of doses are being shipped each week and 70 million doses will be produced by the vaccine maker by year’s end. An additional 100 million will be produced by the four other vaccine manufacturers in this country.

Ted Kross, the head of Wilkes-Barre’s health department, said those wishing to get their vaccine this fall in the city should have no problem. And Pennsylvania Department of Health spokeswoman Holli Senior said the same goes for the state as a whole.

The first shipment of vaccines to Wilkes-Barre, containing 180 doses, was received last Friday and the city expects an additional 1,340 doses in the coming weeks. Ten free clinics have been scheduled at the Kirby Health Center beginning Oct. 2 and running through Nov. 22.

Senior said the state has ordered 485,000 doses and noted that while that number might sound low considering the state has 12.6 million people, it’s an ample amount since more than 90 percent of state residents get their vaccinations from their primary physicians or health care providers.

Kross said projections from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show no concerns for swine flu, or H1N1, outbreaks this year. In fact, on Aug. 10, the World Health Organization International Health Regulations Emergency Committee declared an end to the 2009 H1N1 pandemic globally.

Coupled with what’s anticipated to be a typical influenza season, Senior and Kross said the lines and shortages seen last year should not be repeated this fall.

“This year’s going to be a lot different than last,” Senior said.

And because you’ll need one shot instead of two this year, that will also help, said Bernard Healey, an epidemiologist who teaches at King’s College and used to work with the state Department of Health.

The new three-in-one vaccine being produced includes an influenza B virus, H3N2 and H1N1. Last year, the seasonal vaccine included two strains of influenza and the swine flu vaccine included the H1N1 strain.

Cary said that “had the pandemic strain (of H1N1) been discovered earlier (in 2009),” such a three-in-one shot could have been produced last year, too. But it wasn’t discovered until April and by that time seasonal flu vaccine was already in production and shutting down that process and beginning a new one would have caused even more headaches.

“To change the game at that late stage would have caused a delay,” she said. Instead, the seasonal vaccine was produced then Sanofi went into overdrive for H1N1 shots before finally shifting its focus back to seasonal vaccines late in the year.

In total in 2009, Sanofi produced 52 million doses of seasonal flu vaccine and 85 million doses of the H1N1 vaccine. This year, Cary said, a total of 70 million doses of the vaccine will be produced by Sanofi. Included in that number is Fluzone High-Dose vaccine, which is for those 65 and older, has four times the potency of the regular flu vaccine.

Kross said that age group is at the greatest risk of death and flu-related hospitalizations.

The statistics from last year, released by the CDC, show about 12,000 people in the U.S. died from the flu, with 60 million falling ill and 265,000 requiring a visit to the hospital. Because of the issues from last year, 160 million doses of seasonal flu vaccine is being produced by all manufacturers, the CDC said. This is about 40 percent more than last year.

Wilkes-Barre will receive 1,520 total vaccines, including 1,000 standard doses, 500 hyper doses and 20 preservative-free doses, which are for children 6 months to 35 months old.

If you don’t live in the city, there are plenty of opportunities to get a flu shot, though they might not be free.

In addition to many workplaces offering the vaccines, most chain pharmacies began offering vaccinations with their back-to-school sales.

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