Influenza Vaccine Supply Status 2000-2001

The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has announced a delay in the production of influenza virus vaccine for the 2000-2001 season. Although the overall amount of flu vaccine expected to be produced is approximately the same as the amount used last year, the vaccine manufacturers have not been able to produce this year’s vaccine as quickly as normal. Therefore, the flu vaccine is being released more gradually.

This supply situation has led to spot shortages and the need to prioritize the use of flu vaccine so that high risk individuals receive vaccine before healthy younger individuals. The CDC has provided the following guidance to identify high-risk individuals who should receive priority status for influenza immunization:

• Persons aged 65 years and older;
• Residents of nursing homes and other chronic-care facilities with residents of any age who have chronic medical conditions;
• Adults and children aged 6 months and older who have chronic pulmonary or cardiovascular disease, including asthma;
• Adults and children aged 6 months and older who have required regular medical follow-up or hospitalization during the past year because of chronic metabolic diseases (including diabetes mellitus), kidney dysfunction, blood disorders (hemoglobinopathies), or immune system problems (immunocompromised e.g. HIV infection, immunosuppressed by medication, chemotherapy or radiation therapy);
• Children and teenagers (aged 6 months to 18 years) who are receiving long-term aspirin therapy and therefore might be at risk for developing Reye Syndrome after influenza infection;
• Women who will be in the second or third trimester of pregnancy during the influenza season.

Shown below are reports and news stories about the influenza vaccine supply.

The Surgeon General and the CDC wish to remind health professionals of the value of pneumococcal immunization. This vaccine is effective in preventing complications of pneumonia, such as meningitis, septicemia, and death. There is no shortage of pneumococcal vaccine and it should be administered to high-risk individuals whether or not the influenza vaccine is available. See more details in stories below.

Announcements from the CDC

7/14/00
Delayed supply of influenza vaccine and adjunct ACIP influenza vaccine recommendations for the 2000-2001 influenza season

8/25/00
CDC Announcement: "Plan now: expect flu vaccine supply delays and possible shortages"

10/5/00
CDC launches web site on influenza vaccine supply status
The National Immunization Program at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has launched a web site to assist in linking health care providers who need inflluenza vaccine with suppliers of influenza vaccine. Click on the link above to access this web site.

10/06/00
Updated recommendations from the ACIP in response to delays in supply of influenza vaccine for the 2000-2001 season

NOTE: CDC PUBLISHES ERRATUM REGARDING UPDATED ACIP RECOMMENDATIONS ON DELAYED SUPPLIES OF INFLUENZA VACCINE

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published "Erratum: Vol. 49, No. 39" in the October 13, 2000, issue of "Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report" (MMWR). The erratum is reprinted below in its entirety:

In the Notice to Readers, "Updated Recommendations From the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices in Response to Delays in Supply of Vaccine for the 2000-01 Season," on page 889 in the last sentence of the second paragraph, an age range was incorrect. The sentence should read, "More than 18,000 (more than 90 percent) of these deaths and approximately 48,000 of the P&I hospitalizations per year occur among persons aged 65 years and older who are at highest risk for influenza-related complications."

News Reports

03/16/01
Update on the Supply of Tetanus and Diphtheria Toxoids and of Diphtheria and Tetanus Toxoids and Acellular Pertussis Vaccine

10/04/00
Quality of Medical Care Delivered to Medicare Beneficiaries. Results of a national study of repeated, cross-sectional observational data collected in 1997-1999 on all Medicare FFS beneficiaries or on a representative sample of beneficiaries with a particular condition has shown that across all states for all measures, the percentage of patients receiving appropriate care in the median state ranged from a high of 95% (avoidance of sublingual nifedipine for patients with acute stroke) to a low of 11% (patients with pneumonia screened for pneumococcal immunization status before discharge). These findings indicate that there are opportunities to improve the care delivered to Medicare beneficiaries. The study was published at JAMA. 2000;284:1670-1676. Full-text may be obtained at
http://jama.ama-assn.org/issues/v284n13/abs/joc01200.html

11/20/00
FDA approves Tamiflu for prevention of influenza.
Tamiflu (oseltamivir phosphate), a neuraminidase inhibitor. has a new additional indication for the prevention of influenza in adults and children 13 years and older. Tamiflu is an oral anti-viral drug previously approved by FDA for the treatment of uncomplicated influenza in adults.

10/25/00
American Pharmaceutical Association recommends pharmacists identify high-risk populations to receive the influenza vaccine

10/26/00
U.S. Surgeon General teams with medical groups to urge prority influenza and pneumococcal vaccination for high-risk groups

10/26/00
Flu shots in stores discontinued
A lack of flu vaccine has forced one of the largest flu shot providers in the U.S. to discontinue its vaccination program in retail stores nationwide until at least Nov. 11…

Other Links

The National Immunization Program at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has developed an Influenza Immunization Resource Page, with questions and answers about influenza vaccine.

Also check out the CDC Influenza Home Page, with more general information about influenza.