The good news: The 2005 - 06 influenza vaccination season is under way, and flu is not yet widely circulating in the general population. As of Oct. 15, only nine states had reported any flu activity whatsoever to the CDC.
The bad news: CDC officials have revised flu vaccine supply estimates for this season downward, largely because vaccine manufacturer Chiron Corp. now says it will not be able to meet its earlier supply projections. In addition, two of three manufacturers of this year's trivalent inactivated flu vaccine, or TIV, only recently began shipping doses of the vaccine.
Vaccine Shortage Redux?
CDC Revises 2005 - 06 Flu Vaccine Supply Estimates Downward
By Cindy Borgmeyer
10/25/2005
An Oct. 17 Chiron Corp. press release notes the change from the company's previous plan, under which it had expected to ship between 18 million and 25 million doses. "The company now expects that the total number of Fluvirin vaccine doses it will produce for the 2005 - 2006 influenza season will be below its previously stated range due to production delays related to remediation as well as lower production output associated with adaptation to new processes and procedures implemented in remediation."
The "remediation" noted in the press release refers to actions Chiron took after British health authorities suspended the manufacturing license of the company's Liverpool, England, plant last fall when they discovered batches of contaminated flu vaccine. The suspension was lifted in spring 2005.
"What we're saying now is that it's more likely than not that we'll be below that range," said Chiron spokesperson Alison Marquiss. "It's going to be a partial season for us, but the good news is we're back." Although the company isn't yet able to predict revised dose numbers, she added, that information should be available soon.
The news from Chiron comes just as vaccination efforts are expected to kick into high gear. As of Oct. 24, the vaccine -- which previously was to have been administered only to high-risk populations -- was made available to anyone wanting to be vaccinated.
Moreover, according to Dennis O'Mara, senior public health adviser for the CDC, GlaxoSmithKline -- the second of three manufacturers contracting to supply TIV to the United States this season -- will be able to ship only about 7.5 million doses. GSK had earlier estimated it could supply between 8 million and 10 million U.S. doses.
The third manufacturer of TIV for the 2005 - 06 season, sanofi pasteur, still expects to ship about 60 million doses, O'Mara confirmed. In addition, MedImmune is still on target to ship some 3 million doses of live attenuated flu vaccine, approved for use in healthy persons ages 5 to 49.
"Every year it seems there is some problem with influenza vaccine," said AAFP President Larry Fields, M.D., of Ashland, Ky., about the latest news on the vaccine supply. "It is now at the point I would characterize the supply as 'unreliable,' particularly as it relates to Chiron. Our Congress of Delegates was rightly concerned about this situation, and the time may be right for the Academy to act.
"I will discuss with the AAFP Board chair, Dr. (Mary) Frank, our most appropriate course of action so we may respond in a timely manner to the needs of our members and the American people."
The "remediation" noted in the press release refers to actions Chiron took after British health authorities suspended the manufacturing license of the company's Liverpool, England, plant last fall when they discovered batches of contaminated flu vaccine. The suspension was lifted in spring 2005.
"What we're saying now is that it's more likely than not that we'll be below that range," said Chiron spokesperson Alison Marquiss. "It's going to be a partial season for us, but the good news is we're back." Although the company isn't yet able to predict revised dose numbers, she added, that information should be available soon.
The news from Chiron comes just as vaccination efforts are expected to kick into high gear. As of Oct. 24, the vaccine -- which previously was to have been administered only to high-risk populations -- was made available to anyone wanting to be vaccinated.
Moreover, according to Dennis O'Mara, senior public health adviser for the CDC, GlaxoSmithKline -- the second of three manufacturers contracting to supply TIV to the United States this season -- will be able to ship only about 7.5 million doses. GSK had earlier estimated it could supply between 8 million and 10 million U.S. doses.
The third manufacturer of TIV for the 2005 - 06 season, sanofi pasteur, still expects to ship about 60 million doses, O'Mara confirmed. In addition, MedImmune is still on target to ship some 3 million doses of live attenuated flu vaccine, approved for use in healthy persons ages 5 to 49.
"Every year it seems there is some problem with influenza vaccine," said AAFP President Larry Fields, M.D., of Ashland, Ky., about the latest news on the vaccine supply. "It is now at the point I would characterize the supply as 'unreliable,' particularly as it relates to Chiron. Our Congress of Delegates was rightly concerned about this situation, and the time may be right for the Academy to act.
"I will discuss with the AAFP Board chair, Dr. (Mary) Frank, our most appropriate course of action so we may respond in a timely manner to the needs of our members and the American people."
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