Flu vaccine plentiful, a change from the past

Physicians say it's no longer necessary to prioritize who gets shots, and public health officials are talking about recommending them for everyone.

By Victoria Stagg Elliott, AMNews staff. Dec. 10, 2007.

Jill Braverman-Panza, MD, an internist in Albany, N.Y., doesn't expect that administering the flu vaccine is going to take the same financial bite out of her practice that it has in recent memory. For many seasons, her supply of approximately 1,200 shots tended to arrive in December, if at all. By then, most of her patients would have received shots from retail outlets and public health clinics -- something she encouraged to ensure they got immunized. But it often meant leftover vaccine and no way to get reimbursed.

"We had to throw out quite a few vials in the last few years," she said. "This year, we received adequate supplies early. There's been no problem."

Many physicians across the country are finding this flu vaccine season far less aggravating than previous ones. Supplies are arriving and being given to as many patients as possible.

"Everything we ordered showed up on time. We're not having to ration the vaccine this year. It's a pleasant change," said George Voigtlander, MD, a family physician with Pawnee County Rural Health in Pawnee City, Neb. He has received the 1,500 doses he expects to use.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the first cases of flu are appearing, and vaccine supplies are ample. As of Nov. 2, manufacturers had distributed 103 million doses. A total of 132 million may be distributed before the season is over. These numbers are far higher than in previous years.

"This is good news," said Jeanne Santoli, MD, deputy director of the CDC's Immunization Services Division. "Influenza vaccine appears to be more widely available than ever before. ... We are hopeful that this year a record number of people will get vaccinated."