Flu Shot: From Famine To Feast
Surprisingly, there are reports that many states have a surplus of vaccines and tens of thousands of doses could go to waste. How did this happen? The Early Show medical correspondent Dr. Emily Senay reports on the latest news.
Looking at the map from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Senay notes only New York State has widespread activity. But that will probably change because this is the time of year when you normally expect the flu to start to pick up.
More than half of the state's counties reported flu cases or outbreaks. During the week that ended on Christmas Day, one hospital and 21 long-term care facilities in New York City, Long Island and about a half dozen upstate counties reported flu cases.
More than 40 outbreaks have been reported in New York City nursing homes and other settings since October, more than all of last season, according to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Since last month, the department noticed a doubling of visits to hospital emergency rooms for flu-like symptoms.
Flu outbreak typically peaks in January and February, Senay says. Last year was so unusual because we had the early peak.
Arizona has cancelled an order for 10,000 doses while in Pennsylvania, approximately 15,000 persons are on a waiting list to get the flu shots.
States will move some of the vaccine around to help those states that don't have enough, but the concern is that in many states, it will go to waste, Senay says. Providers don't want to order more vaccine because they don't want to be stuck with extra vaccine and throw it out.
An advisory panel to the CDC recommended last month that the strict guidelines be loosened. People 50 or older, caregivers to infants, the elderly, and the chronically ill, are encouraged to get vaccinated.
It is not too late to get a flu shot, Senay says. It takes two weeks for the immunity to become effective and the season hasn't peaked yet.
The U.S. supply of flu vaccine was abruptly halved last year when a factory in England was shut down because of contamination.
Since then, the federal government negotiated the purchase of up to 4 million doses of flu vaccine from Germany. Because that vaccine is not licensed for use in the United States, patients are required to sign a consent form acknowledging the possibility of risks.
FluMist, a nasal vaccine approved only for healthy adults and children, is also available, but analysts have said it does not look like many people have opted to take that vaccine.
If you are a healthy person and you're in an area where there is a surplus of the flu vaccine, Senay says it is OK to go ahead and get vaccinated. Many providers who have taken care of the high-risk people are going ahead and doing that.
Influenza kills an average of 36,000 Americans every year and puts 200,000 into the hospital. According to the CDC, 185 million Americans should get a flu vaccine every year, but tens of millions do not.