Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Flu shot provider cancels clinics

Officials say there will be no shortage of vaccine, but some people will get the shots later than usual.

By LISA GREENE
Published November 8, 2005

One of Florida's largest providers of flu shots has canceled hundreds of public clinics at grocery and drug stores, saying people wanted more shots than the company could provide.

The cancellation is the biggest problem yet in delivering this year's flu vaccine, and illustrates the delays and shortages that have affected some areas.

But state and national health officials stressed Monday they don't expect a repeat of last year's flu shot shortage. Enough flu vaccine should be available this year, but some people will get shots later than usual, they said.

"Compared with 61-million (doses) last year, we're not expecting a shortage," said Lola Russell, spokeswoman for the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "We do understand that with the delays in distribution of the flu vaccine, some people will have to wait until November or December to get vaccine."

About 80-million shots will be available this season, the CDC says, compared to past years where people have received 70-million to 75-million shots. Earlier this fall, the CDC had projected a national supply of 71-million to 97-million shots.

Chiron Corp., the company that couldn't deliver the vaccine last year, will make fewer shots than expected. The company had expected to produce 18-million to 26-million shots, but now expects somewhere fewer than 18-million.

Deliveries of Chiron vaccine also have been slow, with federal regulators approving flu vaccine in increments.

Meanwhile, Maxim Health Systems, which administers 2.2-million to 3-million doses of flu vaccine around the country, canceled its public clinics, effective Sunday. In Florida, Maxim administered clinics at several chains, including at least some locations at Publix, Albertson's, Walgreens, Winn-Dixie and Costco.

"We couldn't find enough vaccine to support them," said Steve Wright, national director of wellness services for Maxim Health Systems. "We're very frustrated. We're frustrated for the customers who want to seek immunization. It's ironic. We're trying to raise immunization rates, and the more success we have raising immunization rates, the more problems we have."

Maxim still will offer flu vaccine at community events, such as at retirement homes and assisted living centers and to its corporate clients.

The company is getting vaccine, but had some of its shipments delayed, and then found that demand at the public clinics was 30 to 40 percent higher than 2003, Wright said. Wright speculated some of the increase came from people coming to Maxim's clinics after their doctor or usual provider had delivery delays.

"The important thing we've been trying to tell people is it's different from last year," Wright said. "There is still vaccine out there, and more is coming."

Elsewhere in Tampa Bay, several flu shot providers said they have vaccine or expect it soon. Health Point Medical Group, which has 25 offices in Hillsborough and Pinellas, has gotten all of the 18,300 shots it ordered.

"I'm more worried about not using them up," said medical director Dr. Patrick Cimino.

The Hillsborough County Health Department its 6,000 doses, and the Pinellas County Health Department has gotten at least 8,300 of 11,000 expected doses.

Another large provider, Doctor's Walk-In Clinics, expects a shipment of 9,000 shots Monday . Medical director Dr. Stephen Dickey wants to see what demand looks like before getting the other 18,000 doses the clinics ordered.

"I don't know if this late in the year, people will have gone elsewhere," he said. "I'm telling people it used to be an October event, but this year's it's a November event."

[Last modified November 8, 2005, 05:07:34]