Wednesday, December 08, 2004, 0:48 EST (12:48 PM EST)
CDCHAN-00218-2004-12-08-UPD-N
Update on Flu Vaccine Allocation
CDC continues to work with state and local health officials to make vaccine available to high risk individuals as designated by the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices (ACIP). However, CDC is aware that geographic differences in vaccine distribution and demand remain across the nation.
Some areas may have small amounts of vaccine scattered among private sector providers that would be difficult to redistribute. To ensure that no vaccine is lost or wasted, if a State Health Official determines that members of the state's high priority populations desiring to be immunized have indeed received vaccine, and additional vaccine is currently available on-hand in the private sector, the state may choose to recommend a limited expansion of eligibility for immunization with those existing private sector doses. Such an expansion might include individuals who would normally receive vaccine such as those between 50 and 65 years of age, household contacts of high priority individuals, or other populations deemed to be at risk by the state. However, even if such a recommendation is made, private providers with a large volume of unused vaccine on hand should be encouraged, wherever practical, to work with the state to transfer such doses to other states with unmet high priority needs.
Furthermore, until such time as all ACIP-designated high priority individuals in all states have had the opportunity to be immunized, vaccine currently held in the public sector and apportioned vaccine that has not yet been delivered should continue to be directed only to these high priority populations. All vaccine that has not yet been delivered should be made available only to those states with unmet demand among the priority groups. CDC will conduct a second re-allocation to facilitate this availability. As CDC has done since the influenza vaccine shortage was announced in early October, it will continue to work with the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) to assess the vaccine supply situation to ensure that all high priority individuals wishing to receive vaccine have the opportunity to do so. If subsequent additional adjustments in distribution appear warranted, they will be made at that time.
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