Officials Warn of Major Flu Shot Shortages

[leftchick]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=541&ncid=716&e=5&u=/ap/20041005/ap_on_he_me/flu_vaccine_suspension

<snip>
The news means the United States will face "a significant shortage," said Dr. Anthony Fauci, the National Institutes of Health (news - web sites)'s infectious disease chief. American vaccine experts suggested shots this year would likely be rationed.


British authorities suspended the license of Chiron Corp. for three months because of problems at its vaccine manufacturing plant in Liverpool, England, which primarily supplies the American market. The action means the company can't supply any flu vaccine during that time, and Chiron said it would provide no U.S. vaccine this year.


British officials didn't explain details for the license suspension.


Chiron officials said the British action came because of broad concerns about standards at the Liverpool factory, not just worries about the safety of already produced vaccine.

[htuttle]

1. An average of 20,000 Americans die of the flu each year (according to CDC)

Most of them die because they can't get the flu vaccine.

They don't get a spiffy memorial, though, cause most of them were poor.

[el_gato]

2. I would never take one of those shots

You don't know what is in them.

[DrWeird]

3. Usually, it's flu vaccine.

But you're right, you never know. Could be anti-freeze. Could be Crystal Pepsi.

[nodehopper]

7. lol.

[nodehopper]

6. That´s about as enlightened

As the Nigerian states that refuse the polio vaccine because Muslim clerics say that the vaccine is Western tool to make women infertile. As a result thousands of children will be paralized from polio.

[TheWraith]

23. Uh...

They just shut down that plant in England because they couldn't guarantee that the doses of vaccine were sterile. And you think it's superstitious to not trust the quality of the flu vaccine?

[daa]

8. I would never not take one nt

[Gunit_Sangh]

4. I thought importing drugs from overseas...

was a bozo no-no. I reckon it's just them stoned slackers up north we can't trust.

(For our Canadian friends .. no disrespect intended ... to me, this is a compliment ever since o'liely called all of Jon Stewart's listeners stoned slackers. I've proudly called myself a stoned slacker to a few of my conservative friends)

[kayell]

11. I'm seriously considering becoming a stoned slacker, just

as soon as I get cable.

[politicat]

5. Is this just a normal state of affairs?? There's a shortage EVERY year.

Since I've been getting flu vaccines (the last 9 years) I can't remember a SINGLE year where there wasn't a lot of noise about the shortages... Since I have to go into institutional settings (hospitals and prisons and the like) I can always get them, but I've skipped them when the shortage has been really bad and it doesn't look like I'll be much in hospital.

It seems like an artificial shortage to me... why? Who knows... but it's too consistent to be accidental.

PCat

[Sven77]

9. this is just a marketing tactic

buy now before its too late! gimme a break. these shots give you the worst case of the flu you will ever get. you do not have to take these.

Officials hope to lure thousands for flu shots _ and train workers

Officials acknowledge they can't simulate the anxiety or fear that such an event could inspire. Still, they want to see how well a local department can set up a clinic, evaluate patients, counsel them and get them vaccinated quickly _ and how many people a single clinic can handle in a day.

http://www.kctv.com/global/story.asp?s=2344816&ClientType=Printable

[FlemingsGhost]

10. I agree.

The one time I recieved a flu shot, fifteen years ago, was the only time I can recall ever getting the flu.

(Of course, I haven't had a head cold in at least a decade, either.)

[frylock]

13. same here..

I'm not saying that the vaccine made me sick, but the one time in the last 15 years that I actully did get the shot, I got sick as a dog. Remember, they pulled this same krap last "flu" season as well, and a lot of people were so scared that they spent mad coin on the flu mist vaccine.

[Heddi]

14. Yep! Me too....

A few years ago, my husband and I worked at the same company. Our company offered free flu shots for employees.

Now, I should state that in the 7 years I've been with my husband, I've never seen him get ill. Not a cold, not the flu, not a fever.

I, on the other hand, seem to get a case of the sniffles or an upper resp. infection once a year or every two years.

But what the hay! We'll get a shot since it's free.

NEVER AGAIN.

My husband got so ill within a day or two of getting the shot that he was out of work for two weeks. I got ill about a day or two after him but was only out of work for a week. It wouldn't have been so bad if one of us got sick so the other could play nurse, but hooo doggies I was sicker than I've EVER been in my life, and I was about 1 day away from taking Mr. Heddi to the hospital b/c of his unrelenting illness.

Someone told me afterwards that the shot didn't make us sick--we already had the flu bug inside of us and getting the shot just made it 'come out'--utter bullshit. THAT SHOT made us both sicker than a fucking pair of dogs and I will never...NEVER get another flu shot IN MY LIFE....

[Emboldened Chimp]

12. Well, looks like it's time to dump some more money into pharmacuetical

companies...

[Upfront]

16. Not The Case For me

I do not doubt what you folks say on this issue but it is not true for me. I have no spleen, and have had triple by pass heart surgery. They all say I need to get this shot. So far I have, and I have never even had a bad cold. Not doubting your experience in any way, just saying , for me it is working. I will try to get mine. My wife is the same but no surgery problems.

[Redleg]

15. The same b.s. as last year when they ran out.

This is making me worry. I have a 14 month old daughter who will need to shots this year.

[Upfront]

17. Ah, Red Leg

I have read your posts and I still would say, get her the shot.

[Redleg]

18. Of course I will get her the shots.

I just get mad that we cannot have sufficient flu shots in this country. Remember last year's problem with the flu shots- people lined up for blocks waiting to get a shot?

[MrSlayer]

19. No skin off my back, I never get flu shots.

And I've never had the flu. I very rarely get sick at all.

[mourningdove92]

20. I work in a Hospital, in the ER and am at high risk. We just

got an email from corporate that our flu vaccines were ordered from this company and now we are scrambling to get an alternate source.

[Amigust]

21. It means a much worse flu season coming up

because fewer people will buffer it with their immunity.

Something smells very fishy about this whole deal.

[put out]

22. I, for one, am sick about this news.

I just got my flu shot clinic at work set up and was publicizing it and getting a nice response, and now this. We have some frail workers and we're around children who are snotting and grubbing on us and we need the protection. It's a nice service to offer to those in our community who choose to use it.

I will add this and hope it does not sound condescending. This vaccine is made with a killed virus and it cannot make you sick. It's impossible. If you get sick with influenza after getting the shot, there are some possibilities: you are one of the unlucky people for whom the vaccine just does not confer immunity, or you had the bug before you got the shot, or you caught a strain different than the three which are in the vaccine this year.

The year I got lazy and didn't get my boy vaccinated, he did get the flu and I was very thankful I wasn't working at the time because he was so very ill. He felt terrible for days and I felt guilty for a year. That will not happen again if I can help it.

Even though vaccinated, I caught a B-strain of influenza two years ago and thought I just might die. I will do anything to avoid that kind of misery, or passing it on to those around me.

My two cents worth.

[Neshanic]

24. Just two days ago the local happy news/NBC/Gannett station chirped...

that everyone should get one, and there were no problems this year with availability.

Head tilt, smile, and turn to male moron.