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Flu Shots are in extremely short supply

On October 5, 2004, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) in the United States was notified by Chiron Corporation that none of its influenza vaccine (Fluvirin®) would be available for distribution in the United States for the 2004-05 influenza season. The result is that only about 50% of the flu shots the U. S. government thought we would need for the upcoming cold and flu season are available. This means that almost ½ the people who either need or want to take a flu shot to help prevent the flu virus won't be able to this year!

Because of this urgent situation, the CDC, in coordination with its Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices (ACIP) has issued recommendations for prioritizing who can get a flu shot during the 2004-05 cold & flu season. In other words, they are rationing the available flu shots. The below groups have the highest priority for the available flu shots (because they are at the biggest risk for getting a serious or even fatal case of the flu). If you are not in one of these groups, your chances of getting the safest type of flu shot this year are very low.

The Priority Groups for Influenza Vaccination Are:

all children aged 6-23 months;
adults aged 65 years and older;
persons aged 2-64 years with underlying chronic medical conditions;
all women who will be pregnant during the flu season;
residents of nursing homes and long-term care facilities;
children aged 6 months-18 years on chronic aspirin therapy;
health-care workers involved in direct patient care; and
out-of-home caregivers and household contacts of children aged <6 months.

If you are not in one of the above groups the CDC has asked that because of the dire shortage of flu shots that you forgo or defer getting a flu shot this year.

What Can I do Instead?

You can get an intranasally administered, live, attenuated flu vaccine [Note: While this will afford protection against the flu, you will in fact get the flu and experience flu symptoms after this vaccine because it is giving you a live dose of the flu virus]
You should take appropriate lifestyle and nutritional steps to bolster your anti-viral immune defenses so that you will be better prepared to resist colds and flu in the upcoming season.