H1N1 Vaccine Availability

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention just revised their projections for the amount of H1N1 vaccine that will be available for delivery by the middle of October. Initial estimates were that 120 million doses would be available mid-October, with about 20 million doses each week after. That estimate has been adjusted to only 45 million doses by mid-October with 20 million doses a week after that.

Limited vaccine availability will severely narrow the risk groups eligible for initial immunization efforts. The US Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices will undoubtedly meet again and revise their previously published priority groups, which included nearly 159 million Americans. I would guess the new priority list for vaccination would include pregnant women, children 6 months to 4 years of age, children 5-18 with chronic health conditions that place them at risk of complications from the flu, parents and care-givers of children under 6 months of age, and health care and emergency workers with direct patient contact. We will have to wait and see what they recommend.

The reasons for the lower estimate for vaccine production are outlined in this article:

http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/content/influenza/swineflu/news/aug1409vaccine.html