Homeland Security, shortfalls of swine flu vaccine

 

Homeland Security health official, in St. Louis, talks about shortfalls of swine flu vaccine

 

11/19/2009

              Health officials have long planned for a severe bird flu outbreak, but another virus flew in first.

Swine flu (H1N1 virus) has already sickened an estimated 22 million Americans since April, closing schools and straining emergency rooms nationwide.

The H1N1 virus has proven to be less deadly but more contagious than bird flu.

The government's plan for distributing H1N1 vaccines has been delayed, creating a scenario where most people could get sick before they can get a shot.

"Vaccine production wasn't really what we would like it to be," said Dr. Alexander Garza, chief medical officer of the U.S.

Department of Homeland Security, in a visit Wednesday to his hometown of st. Louis

Federal health officials originally predicted that 160 million doses of H1N1 vaccine would be available by the end of October. To date, 40 million doses have been doled out to states, including 1.7 million to Illinois and 583,700 to Missouri.

Garza came to St. Louis to give a talk at Washington University on the government's H1N1 preparations. On Tuesday, Garza and other health officials testified about the vaccine shortage in a hearing of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, committee chairman, was quoted in a Senate news release, saying that vaccine shortages have led to frustration and anger.

"With so many eligible Americans still unable to get the vaccine, a good situation has turned bad," Lieberman said at the hearing. "I worry that we are undermining confidence, generally, in the public health system, and that people most at risk are not only not getting the vaccine but have stopped trying."

Health officials explained that the virus has grown slower than expected in labs, leading to the delays.

The government's original predictions had not accounted for the slow-growing virus.

"Whether we meant to or not, I think we led expectations of availability to be higher than they have been. And so that, I think, can lead to frustration," Dr. Anne Schu****** of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told the committee.

Part of the problem has been confusion over the high-risk groups targeted by the CDC to receive vaccines first. Initial priority lists included pregnant women, health care workers, anyone 6 months to 24 years old, anyone 25 to 64 years old with a chronic medical condition and caretakers of infants.

When vaccine supplies were lower than anticipated, adults with health problems and healthy children were taken off the highest-priority list.

Local health departments were given control over distributing the vaccines, leading to discrepancies.

Children in Hazelwood and other St. Louis County school districts received vaccines six weeks before kids in St. Louis city schools started getting them.

Earlier this month, the St. Louis County health department held H1N1 vaccine clinics using the tighter restrictions and only administered 5,446 of 10,000 available doses. For its next clinics set for Dec. 5, the department says they'll open up the clinics to anyone on the longer priority list.

Garza said federal officials decided to give some flexibility to local governments since every community's needs are different, but he acknowledged the challenges in getting enough vaccines to the right people.

"It's a tricky balance. You don't want to be overbearing as federal agents," Garza said. "You have to remember this is really an unprecedented vaccine campaign."

The H1N1 pandemic has been Garza's first test since taking the federal position in August. His office, created after the Sept. 11 attacks, prepares for public health threats ranging from disease epidemics to biological weapons and environmental hazards.

Garza, who grew up in Maryland Heights and attended St. Louis University, is also charged with helping maintain the country's infrastructure during a pandemic. That includes watching over the border patrol officers, the U.S. Coast Guard and immigration agents.

"If we have a health threat, these people have to be protected," Garza said.

Flu pandemics are by nature unpredictable, Garza said. Unlike a tornado or hurricane that has a beginning and an end, flu outbreaks can last years and infect millions of people across the country.

"We can't really model when a new influenza bug is going to pop up," Garza said. "With flu you don't know the ebb and flow of the disease."

Government plans for the highly dangerous bird flu, for example, included decisions about closing borders and halting trade. The H1N1 swine flu is a more moderate virus, comparable to a seasonal flu but targeting a younger population.

The CDC estimates that since April, 98,000 people have been hospitalized with H1N1 and 3,900 people have died, including 540 children. Each year, the seasonal flu kills about 36,000 Americans including 50 to 100 children.

 

            Well my friend all I can say is every member of my family and there are a lot of us have had the h1n1 and seasonal shots this year,  nobody had any kind of reaction what so ever to the vaccines, some had shots some had the mist . In my opinion and thats all it is , I was a bit afraid of the shots because of all the hype  until I contacted the H1N1 myself. 4 members of my family contacted H1N1.  After having it and surviving I was more afraid of losing a member of my family to the flu, which as  most of you know we almost lost my son.Again I cant stress enough for those of you that don't know first hand I have never ever been so ill in my entire life. .

                    I feel this flu isnt that much different then seasonal flu as far as the SHOTS go, so the experience  from the previous years gave the companies a heads up for developing the h1n1 shots. DId they develope enough in time  NO.

               For those people like myself that have gotten the flu shots every year forever, the h1n1 will be a compond of next years shots too.I am so sorry for those people that want one cant find them, THIS IS WRONG I pray they all get theirs soon.  My fear is people being hit with both the seasonal and h1n1 at the same time !! 

 

                For those of you that dont want a shot, the news of a shortage shoulnt bother you at all.