We waited. And waited. We watched those around us get sick. Emergency rooms were overflowing.
It was just a few weeks ago that we all went through a bit of a panic together. H1N1 flu shots were in shorter supply than had been promised, and they were being rationed out to those most at risk: children, pregnant women and people with medical conditions.
People who did get the flu were very sick; many ended up with pneumonia, and some died. No flu is fun and games, but this one seemed particularly brutal.
Now, the shots are plentiful, and we’re not in line. While numbers of reported cases of the swine flu are dropping, our most traditional flu season is just around the corner.
"We have a chance to lessen the impact or even prevent a third wave, and we need to seize that opportunity right now," said Kathleen Sebelius, secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.
A CDC survey done in the second week of December found that about 46 million people had received the pandemic vaccine, The Washington Post reports. About 40 percent were children -- a much higher percentage than in usual flu seasons, when the primary target is elderly people. More from The Post:
“Speaking to reporters, Anne Schuchat, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, urged people to get vaccinated even though the flu outbreak is waning in many places.
"There are a lot of unknowns, but the one thing we do know is that getting vaccinated will reduce the chance of you getting sick, and reduce the chance of the country going through a third wave" of H1N1 spread, she said.”
There have been two recalls of swine flu vaccine, for doses that were determined to not be as potent as they should be. The latest was Tuesday, when AstraZeneca voluntarily recalled some of its vaccine.
Last week, Sanofi-Aventis SA recalled 800,000 doses of its pediatric vaccine.
From Reuters:
“Norman Baylor, director of the office of vaccines research and review at the FDA, said the recall involves a total of 4.7 million doses of the company's nasal spray vaccine, but only about 3,000 of those doses are left in warehouses.
“The rest of the doses were given out in October and November, when the vaccine was still at full potency, Baylor said.
From the Wall Street Journal:
“The new push by the government to get people vaccinated comes after eight months of grappling with the eruption and spread of the new virus, which caused five times more deaths in young adults and children than during a regular flu season. Delays in vaccine deliveries this fall prompted public criticism and congressional hearings.
“Short supplies illustrated bottlenecks in preparing for a deadly pandemic -- unlike the relatively mild H1N1. Officials are hampered by a slow, antiquated method of producing vaccine, which is the best defense against the flu. The first H1N1 vaccine was delivered faster than normal, but it still took five months.
"The FDA said people who had already received the vaccine do not need another dose."
What about you? Have you had a swine flu shot? Will you get one?
The Washington Post story:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/22/AR2009122203418.html
The Reuters story:
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN2213056920091223
The Wall Street Journal story:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB126150314633801635.html?mod=googlenews_wsj