Expect delays in flu vaccine delivery
Expect delays in flu vaccine delivery
Slow pace of distribution is normal
If you were frustrated by the slow delivery of influenza vaccine last fall, public health officials have a message for you: Get used to it.
Gone are the days when hospitals received all their vaccine in one shipment and began vaccinating in late September. Flu vaccine manufacturers are making more vaccine than ever before — but they release the vaccine gradually, as it is ready.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is now recommending that hospitals and other providers begin vaccinating as soon as they get vaccine, but continue their vaccinations through January.
"There are capacity issues about how many doses can be produced," says Greg Wallace, MD, MS, MPH, chief of the CDC's Vaccine Supply and Assurance Branch. "Even [a delay of] two or three weeks can cause a lot of logistical nightmares."
About 130 million doses will likely be available for the next flu season, according to manufacturer projections. That is significantly more than the 100 million distributed in the past flu season.
The rapid growth in vaccine production creates challenges for distribution, notes Wallace. "Even if you go back as few as 10 years ago, it was a much smaller system," he says. "There are a lot more complexities now."
Many health care providers were upset last fall when they had only partial delivery of their vaccine supply but area retailers, such as Wal-Mart, were offering mass vaccination campaigns. In fact, all vaccine purchasers received a portion of their order, says Wallace.
"By the end of September, providers had 40% of what was out there. They had their fair share," he says.
Hospitals should schedule vaccination clinics in October, but continue vaccination efforts through November, December, and even January. "Use what you have. There's more coming," Wallace says.
OSHA warns 56 high-hazard hospitals via letter
Fifty-six hospitals were among the 14,000 employers that received letters from the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration cautioning them about above-average injury and illness rates.
OSHA identified the workplaces from the 2006 survey of 80,000 employers. Employers received the letters if they had 5.3 or more injuries or illnesses that resulted in days away from work, restricted work activity, or job transfer (DART) for every 100 full-time workers. The national average was 2.4 such illnesses and injuries for every 100 workers.
The list of high-hazard workplaces does not include sites in the 21 states that run their own OSHA-compliant programs. OSHA will issue a separate list later this year designating workplaces that are being targeted for comprehensive inspections because of high injury and illness rates.
If you were frustrated by the slow delivery of influenza vaccine last fall, public health officials have a message for you: Get used to it.Subscribe Now for Access
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