Oct. 29--Central Floridians looking to get a swine- flu shot were still
waiting Wednesday, with only the nasal-mist vaccine available at most area
clinics.
The injectable vaccine, recommended for pregnant women and those with
long-term health problems or weakened immune systems -- among the so-called
priority groups because of their high risk for flu-related complications -- is
not available at many local clinics and other health-care providers.
A nationwide shortage of swine-flu vaccine, especially the injectable
form, is causing anxiety among those eager to get the shot.
In Orange County, about 30,000 doses of swine-flu vaccine have been
allocated to walk-in clinics, obstetricians, pediatricians, pharmacies and
hospitals to date. But initial shipments consisted of the nasal mist only.
Small quantities of injectable vaccine began to arrive last week but have
quickly run out.
None of the clinics listed on the Orange County Health Department's Web
site was carrying the flu shots, nor were two of the largest walk-in-clinic
systems, Solantic and Florida Hospital's Centra Care.
"While limited quantities of vaccine are still arriving in the public
sector, most of the allocated vaccine is being shipped directly to health-care
providers to get it out into the community and to patients faster," said
Orange County Health Department spokesman Dain Weister. "More is expected in
the next few days."
Other local health departments -- including those in Lake and Volusia
counties -- have also reported shortages of injectable vaccines.
"Each health department had expectations of having enough vaccine, but we
understand there has been a delay from the manufacturers," said Volusia County
Health Department spokeswoman Stefany Strong. "We understand people are antsy;
they want their vaccine. But we're asking the general public to be patient."
At Solantic's South Orange Avenue location, Thong Tran,56, and his wife,
Vui Nguyen 53, came in Wednesday to get vaccinated against the swine flu. But
they were turned away because the clinic had only the nasal-mist spray,
recommended for people ages 2 to 49 only.
"We're food servers at a restaurant on International Drive, and we come
in contact with a lot of tourists, so we thought we should protect ourselves,"
Nguyen said. "We also have young grandchildren that we see on weekends, and we
want to protect them against getting sick, too."
The nasal mist is made with live, weakened viruses that do not cause the
flu, but it is not recommended for pregnant women or anyone with underlying
health problems. And despite reassurances from officials with the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, the idea of spraying live viruses up one's
nose has concerned many residents.
"We do get a lot of calls from people asking about the safety of the flu
mist, but once we tell them it's safe, they usually come in for their
vaccination," said Solantic spokeswoman Bea Kochheiser.But Wednesday morning,
a flurry of calls to the clinic were from residents who wanted to know whether
the injections were available.
On Tuesday, federal health officials said more than 22 million doses of
swine-flu vaccine were available to be shipped to states, which receive their
allotment based on population.
In Florida, 1,019,820 swine-flu vaccines have been ordered, but only
about half have been shipped.
Last week just 14 million doses were available nationwide, despite
initial predictions that as many as 120 million would be ready by mid-October.
The government later slashed that estimate to 45 million.
The delays have been attributed to the slow process of manufacturing the
vaccine, grown in chicken eggs and then harvested. Eventually, the government
expects to have as many as 225 million doses of the vaccine if needed.
Locally, a number of vaccination events are being planned geared toward
school-age children, at higher risk for contracting the swine-flu virus. In
Orange County, health officials predict it will be late November or December
before those events are held.
For more information on vaccination events and health-care providers
offering the swine-flu shots or nasal spray, check with your health-care
provider or county health department.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
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