Seasonal flu vaccine in short supply in SCC

H1N1 flu is here, but most people can’t get the shot yet. Now, on the brink of the winter flu season, there’s a shortage of seasonal flu vaccine. “We ordered seasonal flu vaccine months ago,” said Dr. Eladio Pereira, medical director of the Mariposa Community Health Center (MCHC). “The word is they didn’t make enough.” Now all the vaccine for shots is gone and all that’s left at the clinic is the FluMist for healthy individuals, Pereira said on Oct. 19. “We are experiencing delays in the manufacturing process (for the vaccine),” said Arleen Porcell, a spokeswoman for the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

This has held up distribution, “but more (vaccine) is coming,” Porcell said.

Manufacturers are expected to produce about 114 million doses, and more than 82 million doses have gone out, according to the CDC.

Next month

Kmart in Nogales hopes to offer flu shot clinics in November, but “we have been unable to get any flu vaccine so far this year,” said pharmacist Ken Shipley. Walgreen’s Manager William Peña said his pharmacy would not offer flu shots for the same reason. Wal-Mart held its flu shot clinic last weekend, Oct. 17-18, said pharmacist Forrest Meiling. Mollen Clinic of Phoenix brought the vaccine and conducted the clinic. Mollen plans give a flu shot clinic at Food City in Nogales from 2-5 p.m. Nov. 7, according to its Web site. Representatives from the clinic did not return calls to the Nogales International by press time. “From what I knew last week, it was a temporary shortage of seasonal flu vaccine,” said Kevin Irvine, Santa Cruz County health director. The seasonal FluMist available at MCHC is not for everyone. On its Web site, the manufacturer lists several groups that should not use the nasal spray vaccine, which contains a live weakened virus: children under 2, pregnant women, people allergic to eggs or on aspirin therapy, and anyone with asthma, heart or kidney disease, diabetes, Guillain-Barr�© syndrome or a weakened immune system.