CDC expects 100 million doses of flu vaccine

October 2006

Officials with the CDC expect that more than 100 million doses of influenza vaccine will be available for the U.S. market between now and early January.

Manufacturers got an early jump on shipping this season, as distribution issues leading to long waits for vaccine have plagued past seasons.

“As we’ve learned in the past few years, there is always some uncertainty regarding influenza vaccine supplies and distribution,” Julie Gerberding, MD, MPH, CDC director, said in a prepared statement. “It’s often very difficult to predict how much vaccine will be distributed and when, or exactly when influenza vaccine will be available for those who provide it. However, if the manufacturers’ estimates hold, more people than ever before will be able to protect themselves and their loved ones from influenza this year.”

Influenza vaccine manufacturers report that they expect to produce more than 100 million doses of influenza vaccine for the U.S. market this year.

Novartis officials said that the bulk of Fluvirin influenza virus vaccines for the 2006 to 2007 flu season would be distributed and released by the end of this month.

“A dependable flu vaccine supply is critical for public health authorities to increase vaccination rates aimed at protecting more people from the threat of seasonal influenza,” Joerg Reinhardt, PhD, chief executive officer of Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics, said in a prepared statement.

The total 100 million doses is at least 17 million more doses of influenza vaccine than has ever been distributed in the past — the previous high was 83.1 million doses in 2003 — and about 19 million more doses than were distributed last year. According to the information from manufacturers, about 75 million doses will be distributed by the end of October; that would be about 15 million more doses than were distributed by the end of October, 2005.

According to Lance Rodewald, MD, director of CDC’s Immunization Services Division, the CDC has been working with influenza vaccine manufacturers and distributors to monitor this season’s influenza vaccine supply and the timing of its distribution. In addition, the FDA has successfully worked with the vaccine manufacturers to increase both the supply and its diversity and to facilitate early availability.

“When and how much vaccine each health care provider or clinic receives depends on who they ordered from and when they ordered,” said Rodewald. “There are many manufacturers and distributors, each of which has different distribution plans and schedules. We expect that some health care providers and clinics may get or have more influenza vaccine than others in the first month or so, but people will have plenty of opportunities to be vaccinated during October and November, as well as December or later.”

Since influenza is unpredictable, and different types and strains of influenza circulate throughout the flu season, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends that influenza vaccine be offered throughout the influenza season— even after influenza has appeared or begun appearing in a community.

Who should get it?

Annual immunization is the best way to protect individuals, families and caregivers from influenza and its complications. Each year, approximately 200,000 hospitalizations and 36,000 deaths occur due to influenza, making it the seventh leading cause of death in the United States.

Based on recommendations by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, the people in the following groups should consider vaccination: those at high risk for influenza-related complications and severe diseases, including children aged 6 to 59 months, pregnant women, people aged 50 and older, people with chronic medical conditions, as well as caregivers of the people and young children in the aforementioned groups, including health workers and others who engage in frequent contact and can easily transmit the disease. The CDC recommends all children 6 to 23 and those older than 2 years who have high-risk medical conditions for flu-related complications.

“As our recommendations highlight, there are many people who can benefit from the protection an influenza vaccine can provide, especially health care providers, children between 6 months and up to 5 years of age, people with chronic diseases such as diabetes, asthma, and heart disease, and people 50 years old and older” Gerberding said. “Our goal, and the goal of those who provide influenza vaccine, is to use every available dose so that we protect as many people as possible.”

Each year in the United States, between 5% and 20% of the population is infected with influenza, about 36,000 people die and more than 200,000 people are hospitalized because of influenza complications.