Flu Shot Deficit Related to Vaccine Manufacturers Production Problems

Flu shot scarcity is a major concern for many at risk individuals. During the past six years, the flu shot deficit was related to which brand of vaccine a provider ordered and from which supplier. Some manufacturers had difficulty producing the vaccine in a timely manner and some manufacturers were able to produce limited supplies or none at all, causing providers who had ordered from these manufacturers to have a flu shot deficit in relation to the number of people requesting shots. If your primary care giver has a flu shot scarcity, you may find that other providers in your area have no flu shot deficit, all depending on which manufacturers the flu shot providers ordered from.

In 2005, many flu shot providers who ordered the Chiron vaccine experienced a flu shot deficit. This flu shot scarcity was caused by production problems at the Chiron facilities. Chiron was only able to produce about half of the flu vaccines that they originally expected, thus orders could not be filled and health care providers experienced a flu shot deficit.

In 2005, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) surveyed health care providers in order to better understand which providers were most affected by flu shot scarcity. These findings combined with a Gallup survey of the general public suggests that most people who wanted a flu vaccine in 2005 were able to get one. Only 4% of the sample surveyed reported that they were not vaccinated because of a flu shot deficit. It is unclear as to whether an overall flu shot scarcity in the community caused those 4% to be unable to get vaccinated or if it was flu shot deficit at the primary caregivers office.

Between 40 and 50% of all flu shot providers had received at least 40% of their orders by late November 2005. Although the CDC seems to downplay the 2005 flu shot deficit, it is obvious that if a flu shot provider received less than half of the doses ordered and those orders were based on expected demand for flu shot vaccinations, that provider would have a flu shot deficit. Flu shot scarcity causes anger and frustration among the general public. It is easy to imagine how frustrating it was for health care providers to deal with the frustration of more than half of their patients.

Although the CDC may report on flu shot scarcity, they have no control over it. Vaccine manufacturers are not affiliated with government agencies, although they may receive contracts from government agencies to supply or research flu vaccines. The CDC maintains that vaccine manufacturers do not prioritize distribution of flu vaccines, but the survey they conducted in 2005 does indicate that government providers were less likely to experience a flu shot deficit than private health care providers. The survey reported that among government providers 70% of these providers received more than 80% of their orders and reported less flu shot scarcity than private providers. You can read complete results of the survey at the CDCs website. For more information about the flu and natural products to boost your immune system, visit www.immune-system-booster-guide.com.

Patsy Hamilton has worked in the healthcare industry for over twenty years and currently writes informational articles for the Immune System Booster Guide. Read more at http://www.immune-system-booster-guide.com.

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