[PROVE] Not many want Flu Shot

[Guest guest]

FROM NVIC (www.NVIC.org)

BL Fisher Note: Without the constant hype and fear mongering by public health

officials that causes people to lose their perspective, most healthy adults and

parents of healthy children intuitively know they don't need a flu shot to stay

healthy.

Vaccine may be wasted

By Schmit, USA TODAY

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2005-01-06-vaccine-waste_x.htm

The flu-shot shortage has turned into a surplus in some areas, raising fears

that some vaccine might be wasted.

Aventis Pasteur, supplier of almost all flu-shot vaccine for the USA this year,

still has about 3.3 million doses to distribute to U.S. consumers.

GlaxoKline is on tap to ship 1.2 million shots from Europe. And MedImmune,

maker of a nasal vaccine, has supplies.

But more than a dozen states contacted by USA TODAY say they have enough vaccine

to meet demand. That is because many people at high risk for the flu opted to

forgo shots this season, believing other people needed them more.

The USA lost nearly half its flu vaccine last fall after manufacturer Chiron's

48 million doses were declared unusable because of contamination fears. A mild

flu season also has eased the demand.

That could change if the season picks up. But for now, some states are

struggling to use up vaccine:

•California has about 200,000 doses available and 300,000 more that will become

available soon for California medical providers to order. Even though consumers

want shots, doctors and other providers are hesitant to order vaccine because

they think it is late in the flu season, says Backer, chief of

California's immunization branch. " They're afraid of getting stuck with

vaccine, " he says. Typically, most flu shots are used before Jan. 1.

•Arizona doctors canceled 10,000 dose orders because of weak demand. Minnesota

has 20,000 to 25,000 doses even after shipping some to Louisiana.

•Massachusetts could get 60,000 more doses but won't take them because it still

has vaccine, says St. of the state's department of health.

Washington is eligible for 160,000 more doses, but it still has 30,000 of its

original 160,000.

On Dec. 22, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that

states with adequate supplies loosen flu-shot restrictions starting last Monday.

The new guidelines include anyone 50 and older — down from the earlier cutoff at

age 65 — and people in other high-risk groups.

Several states eased restrictions earlier. " The CDC was too slow to adapt " to

weakening demand from health care providers, Backer says.

Some states still do not have enough vaccine for high-risk customers.

Pennsylvania has a waiting list of 15,000. Florida recently purchased 68,000

doses from California sources. Louisiana physician Fleming has patients

awaiting shots and expects his office to get its first 1,000 doses next week.

" With 11 physicians, you can imagine how far that will go. "

Officials say it is not too late to get a shot. Flu activity, which has been

mild in most areas, is picking up. Often, flu season does not peak until

February. Shots take two weeks to become fully effective. Patients should call

their doctors or local health departments.

Contributing: Anita Manning

_______________________________

FluMist Sales Are Sluggish

From Associated Press

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-flumist7jan07,1,1613141.story?coll=la-head\

lines-business

The maker of the nasal spray flu vaccine FluMist has sold only about a third of

the 3 million doses it produced this year despite a nationwide shortage of flu

vaccine, according to a Wall Street analyst estimate.

At the urging of federal public health officials last fall, Gaithersburg,

Md.-based MedImmune Inc. tripled its planned production of FluMist doses to help

ease the feared crisis. But analyst Sendek of Lazard Freres & Co. said

Thursday that only about 1 million doses had been sold.

" We were prepared to find that people would be sold out of FluMist, "

Sendek said of his survey of doctors and pharmacists who administer FluMist. " We

were surprised to find the opposite. "

MedImmune spokeswoman Lacey said the company would probably give its own

update on FluMist sales when it released 2004 earnings this month. She would not

say whether Lazard's estimates were correct.

On Thursday, MedImmune shares rose 15 cents to $25.40 on Nasdaq.

The sluggish sales would mark a second straight flu season that MedImmune has

had trouble selling FluMist, meant to be a needle-free alternative to the

traditional flu shot.

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Dawn

PROVE(Parents Requesting Open Vaccine Education)

prove@... (email)

http://vaccineinfo.net/ (web site)

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PROVE provides information on vaccines, and immunization policies and practices

that affect the children and adults of Texas. Our mission is to prevent vaccine

injury and death and to promote and protect the right of every person to make

informed independent vaccination decisions for themselves and their family.

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This information is not to be construed as medical OR legal advice.

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