From the NY Times (excerpt):
| U.S. Will Miss Half Its Supply of Flu Vaccine
By ANDREW POLLACK - Published: October 6, 2004 Nearly half of the nation's expected supply of flu vaccine will not be available this winter because the British government has suspended the manufacturing license at the factory in Liverpool that makes it, federal officials said yesterday. The unexpected development, coming just as the flu season is starting, means there will almost certainly be a significant shortage this winter. The authorities urged the public yesterday not to rush out to get vaccinated but instead to save the scarce supplies for those most at risk, like adults 65 and older and infants 6 to 23 months old. "This is very disappointing news that creates a serious challenge to our vaccine supply for the upcoming season,'' Tommy G. Thompson, secretary of health and human services, said at a news conference yesterday. Mr. Thompson added, "Our immediate focus will be on making sure the supply of vaccines we do have reaches those who are most vulnerable.'' The manufacturing license was suspended for three months because of concerns about sterility. As a result, the Chiron Corporation, the American biotechnology company that owns the factory, said it would not be able to supply any of the 46 million to 48 million doses it had planned to sell in the United States this year.... |
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