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May 4, 2001

U.S. IMMUNIZATION NEWS
"Anger in State Over Plans for Fall Flu Shots"
San Francisco Chronicle (www.sfgate.com) (05/03/01) P. A1;
Russell, Sabin

A draft of a General Accounting Office (GAO) report, scheduled to
be published May 15, concludes that only voluntary measures are
needed to ensure that flu vaccines are given to high-risk
patients first.  In response to the draft report, however,
California Medical Association Executive Director Jack Lewin
asserted that the voluntary guidelines appear to favor the
interests of the manufacturers and distributors ahead of the
patients.  A key finding of the draft report is that while many
elderly Americans received their flu vaccinations from their
doctors, physicians "appeared to experience no priority in
vaccine distribution."  As a result of haphazard distribution,
high-risk patients had to wait for shots during last year's flu
vaccine shortage, while the vaccine was available via promotional
events, such as those at radio stations and at supermarkets.  The
GAO draft report also pointed out that the vaccine is produced
and distributed by private companies and medical organizations
that it cannot control.  One possible solution the draft report
said the Department of Health and Human Services was considering
to deal with potential future shortages would be to offer
half-dose flu shots to young and healthy people and promoting a
vaccine that offers at least five years of protection against
pneumococcal pneumonia, a complication of influenza that can turn
deadly.

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