Brought to you by WBIW News and Network Indiana
Last updated on Monday, September 22, 2014
(INDIANAPOLIS) - After influenza sickened millions of young and middle-aged adults last year, public health officials hope this year people follow their recommendation that everyone over the age of six months be vaccinated against the virus.
About 46 percent of Americans received protection against the flu last year, officials from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said earlier this week. In Indiana, only 41.5 percent have had the flu shot or nasal spray.
Government officials say there's plenty of flu vaccine to go around this year, with about 150 million doses coming to market. Last year, about 134.5 million doses were distributed.
But some people in Central Indiana may have to wait to get their flu shots. While many retail pharmacies have the vaccine in stock, some clinics say their deliveries have been delayed.
IUPUI Campus Health had originally planned to start offering flu shots next week for free to employees and students. However, as of earlier this week, the school had received no vaccine, said Dr. Stephen Wintermeyer, director of the program at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, so it has tentatively rescheduled its first clinics for the first week in October.
"Unless we would get the vaccine soon, we would have to reschedule some more," Wintermeyer, who is also an associate professor of clinical medicine at the Indiana University School of Medicine, told The Indianapolis Star (http://indy.st/1sPAo4d ). "There are many clinics around the state that have not gotten vaccine yet."
Last year, campus health services vaccinated about 7,500 people and Wintermeyer hopes to reach at least as many people this year. About a quarter of the clinic's flu vaccine order last year arrived in August and the bulk of the remainder in September.
The Marion County Health Department, which is planning to offer clinics next month, also has not yet received any flu vaccine.
Federal officials say they envision no shortage of vaccine in the long run, however.
"There's plenty of flu vaccine to go around," said Dr. Thomas Frieden, director of the CDC. "It's always possible that in one doctor's office or area, you may have to shop around some."
Some local organizations have flu clinics or health fairs to help deliver vaccine to those who need it.
In an effort to increase awareness and vaccination rates among the area's seniors, who are among the most vulnerable when it comes to influenza, CICOA Aging & In-Home Solutions is embarking on an awareness campaign for the area's elderly population.
About 55 percent of seniors in Marion County receive vaccinations, said Patric McDowell, Safe at Home Project coordinator for CICOA. Many do not know that Medicare offers shots for free or they do not know where to go to get the shot.
Health officials have set a similar goal for the entire population by 2020.
People do have options when it comes to vaccines. Healthy individuals between the ages of 2 and 50 can opt for the nasal spray, instead of an injection.
The nasal spray is recommended over the shot for children ages 2 to 8. Studies have shown that this vaccine, which includes live attenuated virus, is more effective than a flu shot for those in this age range. However, for anyone older than 8, flu shots, which carry inactivated virus, are just as effective.
Another option is a quadrivalent vaccine versus a trivalent flu shot. In the past, flu shots contained protection against two influenza A viruses, including H1N1, and an influenza B virus. The quadrivalent vaccine, available in both a shot and nasal spray form, offers protection against two influenza A viruses and two influenza B viruses. The CDC has not recommended one of these vaccines over the other. This year, about 77 million of the flu doses will offer quadrivalent protection, Frieden said, and the government will be working with manufacturers to increase that number over time.
Seniors also can opt for a high dose trivalent flu shot, which is four times as potent as a regular flu shot. Studies suggest it is nearly 25 percent more effective than a regular shot, but so far the CDC has not recommended that it be used preferentially for those older than 65.
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