CDC expects delay -- but no shortage -- in flu vaccine

ATLANTA (CNN) -- Flu vaccines are not in short supply this year, but their availability will be moderately delayed, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Thursday.

The Food and Drug Administration, which regulates the manufacturing of the vaccines, said there will be approximately 75.3 million doses available this year.

Twenty-seven million doses will be made by the end of October and widely available by mid-November. Another 30.3 million doses will be available by the end of November and 9 to 18 million doses ready by the end of December.

Last year, 80 to 85 million doses were produced but only 74 million doses were used, the CDC reported.

The CDC is recommending high-risk individuals and health care workers receive the first vaccinations. Public health facilities were asked to delay their mass vaccination campaigns until November or December, as more vaccinations become available.

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A previous suggestion that the elderly population age group be expanded to include people age 50 and older was postponed. The elderly age group will remain 65 and older for this influenza season.

According to health experts, the flu vaccination can take up to two weeks to protect an individual against the flu. An average flu season peaks from January to mid-March..

Flu is a major cause of illness and death in the U.S. and leads on average to approximately 20,000 deaths and 110,000 hospitalizations each year, the CDC reports.

Studies of healthy young adults have shown flu vaccine to be 70 to 90 percent effective in preventing the flu.

In the elderly and those with certain chronic medical conditions, the vaccine is often less effective in preventing illness. But it is effective in reducing flu-related hospitalizations and deaths among older adults.

The CDC will officially begin tracking the flu on October 1, as public health departments and doctors report flu activity in their areas. They will continue to track influenza through mid-May.

The CDC is encouraging health care facilities to purchase vaccinations prudently. They are asking that duplicate orders not be placed with various manufacturers to minimize the amount of returned or discarded vaccinations.

The CDC is also implementing a Web site for public health institutions to exchange information on flu vaccinations. The goal is for cities who are in need of vaccinations to contact cities who might have vaccinations that are not being used.

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