More Nasal Spray Flu Vaccine Coming -U.S. Officials (ONE MILLION doses of nasal flu spray incoming!)

Yahoo! News/Reuters ^ | Oct 21, 2004 | Lisa Richwine

[philman_36]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Another 1 million doses of a nasal spray influenza vaccine will be available in the United States this year, Bush administration officials said on Thursday as they sought to calm concerns about a flu shot shortage.

The spray vaccine, called FluMist and made by Gaithersburg, Maryland-based MedImmune Inc., is approved only for healthy people aged 5 to 49. It is not intended for the elderly, very young children and others at high risk of serious flu complications.

The United States will have enough vaccine and antiviral medicines "to cope with this year's flu season, even if it turns out to be a severe season," Health and Human Services (news - web sites) Secretary Tommy Thompson told reporters.

Officials also are negotiating with France and Canada and talking to some European companies in hopes of obtaining any surplus vaccine, Acting Food and Drug Administration (news - web sites) Commissioner Lester Crawford said. Up to 5 million more doses might become available, Crawford said.

President Bush (news - web sites), speaking at a campaign stop in Pennsylvania, acknowledged growing public concern about the shortage and sought to offer reassurance and advice.

"If you're feeling healthy like I'm feeling healthy these days, don't get in line for the flu shot," Bush said, alluding to the long lines that have formed in parts of the country.

Shortages of the flu prevention shots have become a campaign issue for Bush as his Democratic challenger, Sen. John Kerry (news - web sites), has accused him of not having done enough to ensure sufficient stocks.

A total of 3 million FluMist doses will be available in the U.S. market for the current flu season, along with 58 million flu shots made by France-based Aventis-Pasteur.

U.S. officials had hoped to have 100 million flu vaccine doses available this year, but maker Chiron Corp. lost its license to make the inoculation on Oct. 5. Emeryville, California-based Chiron had been expected to supply the U.S. market with 48 million doses.

Influenza kills about 36,000 Americans in an average year and lands about 200,000 in the hospital.

Thompson urged seniors not to stand in long lines waiting for the vaccine, as that could threaten their health.

Millions of flu vaccine doses have yet to be distributed, he stressed. Aventis-Pasteur is shipping an average of up to 3 million doses each week to health-care providers.

"Just because your doctor does not have the vaccine today does not mean he or she ... (will) not get it" in the coming weeks, Thompson said.

Democratic vice presidential candidate John Edwards (news - web sites) charged Thompson with spending too much time campaigning for Bush. "It's a problem when the secretary of HHS, instead of dealing with the flu vaccine crisis, is out campaigning in battleground states," Edwards said.

[philman_36]

It seems to me that there is plenty to go around.
And there is no telling how much flu spray has been stockpiled from last year.

[isthisnickcool]

Have they sent the new Flu Vaccine supositories to San Francisco.

[steve86]

And there is no telling how much flu spray has been stockpiled from last year.

Yes, there is. ZERO.

[philman_36]

Just one of many! From Wisconsin Physicians Service...
WPS Health Insurance Approves Nasal Spray Flu Vaccine
"One important way we can help ensure there's enough vaccine for everyone who needs it is to provide insurance coverage of FluMist," said David Luce, M.D., WPS Medical Director.
Snip..."We want our customers to know that despite recent reports of a flu shot shortage, the FluMist nasal spray vaccine is available to help prevent influenza," said Dr. Luce.

[philman_36]

Yes, there is. ZERO.
And how do you know this? Don't just say it, SHOW IT!
I've no idea one way or the other so please, educate me!

[cripplecreek]

Barney Frank will be administering both in suppository and nasal form.

[philman_36]

Have they sent the new Flu Vaccine supositories to San Francisco.
Has that been invented now as well? /sarcasm

[Mediterranean Madman]

What's all the brouhaha on this flu vaccine thing. I didn't even know they existed till like a year ago when there was some more whining going on that brought it to my life. We get the flu, we vomit, we have the runs, we are better the next day. This whining and complaining about a flu vaccine makes us look weak in the world's eyes. My wife and 3 kids have never had them either, but somehow we all survived, even when we have had the flu.

[FITZ]

The spray vaccine, called FluMist and made by Gaithersburg, Maryland-based MedImmune Inc., is approved only for healthy people aged 5 to 49. It is not intended for the elderly, very young children and others at high risk of serious flu complications.

And isn't the reason for this restriction because this is a live virus? That seems like just a good way to spread the flu around --- the healthy person gets a little sick like they would if they actually caught the wild virus --- they pass it around to those who are immunocompromised. They wouldn't give the small pox vaccine for this very reason.

[Mount Athos]

The flu kills about 35,000 people a year in the United States.
Mostly elderly and people with weak immune systems, but hey it'd be nice if those folks could spend a few more christmas dinners with their families.

[FITZ]

I think we're supposed to be getting convinced that we need the government to take over health care and take good care of us all. SARS and West Nile didn't get us convinced because hardly anyone died from those --- so now we're being told we're all going to die from the flu.

[Principled]

The flu (and hence the vaccine) changes and is new every year. So even if there was any vaccine left, it would be useless against this year's flu.

[philman_36]

What's all the brouhaha on this flu vaccine thing.
It's all just a hyped up scenario to me with nothing actually to it in the long run.
I'm just sick of hearing about it when there is nothing, IMO, to it!

[steve86]

Yes, and the FluMist has an expiration date at the end of the season. So, if any pharmacy had held onto it instead of returning it to the manufacturer it would be illegal to sell or administer.

[Rakkasan1]

yep. I guess the draft scare and sosh security scare aren't working well so they needed a new one.

...all the news that's fit to print.

“This is a Time Bomb”
Mike Davis on the Looming Threat of a Deadly Flu Pandemic
by Alan Maass
www.dissidentvoice.org
October 22, 2004
First Published in Socialist Worker

[Mediterranean Madman]

"The flu kills about 35,000 people a year in the United States. Mostly elderly and people with weak immune systems, but hey it'd be nice if those folks could spend a few more christmas dinners with their families."

Yes, then we can begin to kill babies by the millions and rape them of their stem cells so that we can give 90 yr old decrepit people an extra 3 months to live. The only people that I have ever known that took this crap got the worst flu of their lives from it, so I am in no way convinced that not having an extra 10 million doses saves any lives. I wouldn't take it to begin with even if they were paying to give it away. A little good vomit and day of runs cleans out the system. :-) There are no lines at all down here in Little Rock, it isn't that big of a deal believe me, I could care less personally.

[Mediterranean Madman]

Yeah, the silly media will play up anything. Remember that West Nile Virus, like 50 people died nationwide and all of a sudden there was a national epidemic on our hands if you listened to them. I didn't hear one peep out of them this summer on it, probably because it wouldn't hurt Bush and couldn't obtusely be linked to him so it wasn't profitable

[FITZ]

I was offered a flu shot today and declined it --- no matter how much hype, I don't believe I need one --- I've never had a flu shot.

[philman_36]

And isn't the reason for this restriction because this is a live virus?
Doesn't the article say that those groups are simply persons "at high risk of serious flu complications/at high risk for complications from influenza"?
I don't see where it says the restriction is because it's a live virus.

[philman_36]

The flu (and hence the vaccine) changes and is new every year. So even if there was any vaccine left, it would be useless against this year's flu.
If this is true then how could any pre-prepared vaccine be effective? What you're saying doesn't make sense.
Aren't there a limited number of strains with very few variations?
Influenza
Etiology
Influenza viruses are orthomyxoviruses of 3 antigenic types (A, B, and C). Epidemic disease is caused by influenza virus types A and B. Influenza A viruses are subclassified by 2 surface antigens. Major changes in the predominant strain in either of these antigens, are called antigenic shifts; minor variations within the same subtypes are called antigenic drifts. Antigenic shift has occurred only with influenza A, usually at irregular intervals of 10 or more years. Antigenic drift occurs almost annually in influenza A and B viruses.