Pediatricians report flu shot shortage
RALEIGH (WTVD) -- If you haven't gotten your child a flu shot yet, you might be out of luck. We're hearing from local pediatricians that there's a flu vaccine shortage at private practices here and across the country. It's a problem they say is two-fold.
Dr. David Horowitz is a pediatrician at Triangle Pediatrics in Cary. He's been practicing for 30 years but has never been in a bind quite like this before. However, he says the practice of pharmaceutical companies giving first priority to larger retailers is nothing new.
"Delays like this have been an annual event year after year after year. And the issue has been the same, the pharmacies and the retail outlets will have the vaccine long before we can get it in the office," said Horowitz.
In the past, if one vaccine manufacturer ran out, offices would turn to another one. But now, Triangle Pediatrics says both of its suppliers are telling them the same thing, production has been halted which means at best, delays in getting any more flu shots.
"We don't have any injectable vaccine. We have a lot of the nasal spray vaccine, but I can't use the nasal spray vaccine for some of my highest-risk patients who are kids with asthma or kids under the age of two," Dr. Horowitz explained.
And, although large retailers such as Target do have the vaccine at their pharmacies, they have certain restrictions on who can get it, including no children under the age of 18 months.
We reached out to both of Triangle Pediatrics' suppliers and they provided us with these responses:
Glaxo Smith Kline said, in part, "...we have experienced manufacturing and production challenges at one of our flu vaccines manufacturing facilities" and "...[we] hope to complete delivery to other customers in the next few weeks."
Sonofi Pasteur said shipments were "...delayed from mid-August to early September" but said "...we plan on shipping the majority of doses in October."
But Dr. Horowitz and his colleagues are skeptical since they still haven't seen the vaccines they pre-ordered last February. And now they worry, if and when their shipments do arrive, they'll be too late.
The office did have an upcoming flu clinic scheduled for October 25, but for the first time ever they're looking at possibly having to cancel it.
If your child is considered high-risk and can't get a flu shot from a major retailer or their pediatrician, check with your local health department. Also, some pediatricians do still have another version of their preferred flu vaccine, although that only protects you from three possible strains, as opposed to four.
Wake County Human Services is offering weekly flu vaccination clinics every Thursday at the Public Health Center, 10 Sunnybrook Road, Raleigh from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Clinic E. In addition to these weekly clinics, there will be many others held throughout the county.
More info at: http://www.wakegov.com/humanservices/publichealth/information/diseases/Pages/flu.aspx
