This is an official
CDC HEALTH UPDATE
Distributed via Health Alert Network
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.
##This Message was distributed
to State and Local Health Officers, Public Information Officers,
Epidemiologists, Lab Directors, WMD and HAN Coordinators as well as Public Health Associations and Clinician organizations##
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