Widespread flu in United States exposes shortage of vaccine
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《英国医生杂志》
Florida
The United States was left facing a shortage of influenza vaccine in the run up to Christmas, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported flu in all 50 states. As the BMJ went to press just before Christmas, 42 children had died from the disease.
The flu was mainly type A and was widespread in 24 states, "regional" in 15, local in six, and sporadic in five.
Early on, western states such as Texas and Colorado were badly affected. Schools in Ohio and Idaho were closed for as long as five days because of the many new cases.
The vaccine shortage was the result of poor demand in previous years, leading to overproduction and subsequent loss to the manufacturers. Only 83 million doses of the vaccine were available, whereas an estimated 185 million doses were needed.
The three manufacturers—Aventis Pasteur, Chiron Corporation, and Medimmune-Wyeth—use killed flu virus grown on eggs and start production early each year. The vaccine cannot be stockpiled, and the companies are reluctant to invest in more up to date methods of making flu vaccine, such as cell culture and reverse genetics.
"Now that there has been so much publicity about the flu this year," said Tommy Thompson, the health and human services secretary, "I think Congress is going to be much more willing to appropriate the necessary dollars for us to go into the new technologies."
The current vaccine shortage has made many people turn to a nasal spray vaccine called FluMist, made by Medimmune-Wyeth from live but weakened viruses, and approved this year only for healthy people aged between 5 and 49 years. FluMist, which is sprayed into each nostril, costs $70 (￡40; 57) for each dose, but the manufacturer offers a rebate of $25. Some health insurers, Aetna and Cigna, say they will cover the cost for this flu season.
Previously the manufacturer had sold only 400 000 doses of FluMist to doctors and pharmacies and was ready to abandon the market, but sales are now soaring as people line up for vaccinations at clinics and shopping malls, and federal health officials are calling attention to FluMist as an alternative.
Five week old Kaia Page of Nashville, Tennessee, is tested for flu symptoms
Credit: MARK HUMPHREY/AP
With vaccine supplies dwindling around the country the government announced that it had bought an additional 250 000 doses of vaccine for people at high risk of being infected. Remaining stocks were being prioritised for sick people, young people, elderly people, and pregnant women.
The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Julie Gerberding, said that it was too early to draw conclusions from the 42 children's deaths. "This is very sobering and worrisome for us," she said, adding that it was "a high priority to assess these children."(Fred Charatan)
The United States was left facing a shortage of influenza vaccine in the run up to Christmas, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported flu in all 50 states. As the BMJ went to press just before Christmas, 42 children had died from the disease.
The flu was mainly type A and was widespread in 24 states, "regional" in 15, local in six, and sporadic in five.
Early on, western states such as Texas and Colorado were badly affected. Schools in Ohio and Idaho were closed for as long as five days because of the many new cases.
The vaccine shortage was the result of poor demand in previous years, leading to overproduction and subsequent loss to the manufacturers. Only 83 million doses of the vaccine were available, whereas an estimated 185 million doses were needed.
The three manufacturers—Aventis Pasteur, Chiron Corporation, and Medimmune-Wyeth—use killed flu virus grown on eggs and start production early each year. The vaccine cannot be stockpiled, and the companies are reluctant to invest in more up to date methods of making flu vaccine, such as cell culture and reverse genetics.
"Now that there has been so much publicity about the flu this year," said Tommy Thompson, the health and human services secretary, "I think Congress is going to be much more willing to appropriate the necessary dollars for us to go into the new technologies."
The current vaccine shortage has made many people turn to a nasal spray vaccine called FluMist, made by Medimmune-Wyeth from live but weakened viruses, and approved this year only for healthy people aged between 5 and 49 years. FluMist, which is sprayed into each nostril, costs $70 (￡40; 57) for each dose, but the manufacturer offers a rebate of $25. Some health insurers, Aetna and Cigna, say they will cover the cost for this flu season.
Previously the manufacturer had sold only 400 000 doses of FluMist to doctors and pharmacies and was ready to abandon the market, but sales are now soaring as people line up for vaccinations at clinics and shopping malls, and federal health officials are calling attention to FluMist as an alternative.
Five week old Kaia Page of Nashville, Tennessee, is tested for flu symptoms
Credit: MARK HUMPHREY/AP
With vaccine supplies dwindling around the country the government announced that it had bought an additional 250 000 doses of vaccine for people at high risk of being infected. Remaining stocks were being prioritised for sick people, young people, elderly people, and pregnant women.
The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Julie Gerberding, said that it was too early to draw conclusions from the 42 children's deaths. "This is very sobering and worrisome for us," she said, adding that it was "a high priority to assess these children."(Fred Charatan)