Washington to get 160,000 additional doses of influenza vaccine

Nov 11 2004

About 160,000 additional doses of influenza vaccine will be sent to Washington over the next two months. That is our state’s share under a formula used by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to distribute the remaining vaccine around the nation.

The additional supplies will be shipped beginning in a couple of weeks. During that time, the Washington State Department of Health is consulting with local public health agencies to work out a distribution plan. Federal health authorities expect the shipments to continue through January when the final doses will be distributed. The extra allocation is separate from the state-distributed pediatric flu vaccine.

"The flu vaccine shortage cannot be fixed this season," said Washington State Secretary of Health Mary C. Selecky. "This work to develop a distribution plan will assure that the available vaccine is allocated in the fairest way possible."

Selecky said even with this additional supply, there will not be enough to vaccinate everyone who wants a flu shot. Due to the shortage, flu vaccine is reserved only for high priority populations such as children age 6 to 23 months, adults 65 and over, and residents of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities.