Oct 21, 2009 10:40 am US/Central
CDC: H1N1 Vaccine Behind Schedule
Official Says Expect Wider Distribution by Mid-November
Track The H1N1, Or Swine Flu, Virus: CDC | WHO
ATLANTA (AP) ―
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Nasal spray doses of the H1N1/swine flu vaccine are shown at Montefiore Medical Center on Oct. 6, 2009, in the Bronx borough of New York City.
Mario Tama/Getty Images
A CDC official said Wednesday that vaccine for the H1N1 (swine flu) virus should be widely available by mid-November, but admitted distribution is slower than initially planned.
"We are a bit behind," Dr. Anne Schuchat told CBS' "The Early Show".
Calling the production process "unpredictable," Schuchat said, "We wish we had more vaccine."
The CDC was hoping to have shipped 40 million doses by the end of October, the reality of having between 28 and 30 million makes for very difficult choices, CBS News reported last week.
The CDC said Tuesday it has a stockpile of close to 13 million vaccine doses, nearly 11 million of which have been ordered by various state governments.
But CBS News correspondent Don Teague reported that some cities across the country - like Dallas - don't have enough vaccine to go around.
Health officials say more than 600,000 people in Dallas County should get vaccinated against H1N1 but only 700 doses have made it to Dallas County's Health Department, Teague reports. Officials are still trying to determine which of the highest risk groups should be vaccinated first.
"This is the time when we have the most flu going on in our community right now, there's a lot of illness right now that could be prevented with the vaccine; unfortunately it's not available yet," said Dallas County Medical Director Dr. John Carlo.
Federal health officials say there isn't actually a shortage of vaccine but it hasn't always made it to the right place at the right time.
Teague reports that in Nampa, Idaho, more than 2,200 doses came in this past weekend and were gone in a day; in southwest Washington State health officials expected 19,000 doses, but are only getting 5,000 this week.
On the other hand, Teague reports, it's more supply than demand in Las Vegas and at one clinic in Miami, they've received significantly more doses than they've given out.
(© 2010 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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