September 8, 2006 -- Update on This Year’s Flu Vaccine Trying hard to stay on top of the flu vaccine story after supply shortages caused major headaches last year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) assured healthcare providers this week that this year’s vaccine is already moving in the pipeline and doctors and clinics should have vaccine for administration to patients not later than October or November. CDC is expecting manufacturers to make 100 million doses this year, which is not enough for everyone in the U.S. to be vaccinated, so CDC is continuing to advise that priority for shots should go to health care providers; children between six months and five years of age; people with chronic diseases such as diabetes, asthma, and heart disease; and persons 50 years of age and older. “When and how much vaccine each healthcare provider or clinic receives depends on who they ordered from and when they ordered,” said Dr. Lance Rodewald, director of CDC’s Immunization Services Division. “There are many manufacturers and distributors, each of which has different distribution plans and schedules. We expect that some healthcare providers and clinics may get more influenza vaccine than others in the first month or so, but people will have plenty of opportunities to be vaccinated during October and November, as well as December or later.”
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