Flu Vaccine Information

It is that time of year again, flu season. It’s estimated that between five and 20 percent of the population comes down with the flu each year. Countless hours of work, school and recreation time are lost each flu season. This year, the problem may be compounded because Chiron Corp.’s British facility recently announced that it will not supply any of its flu vaccine to the United States due to contamination concerns. Chiron was expected to provide nearly half of the United States’ flu vaccine. Experts predict the U.S. is now facing a shortfall of nearly 46-48 million doses this flu season.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is currently working in conjunction with Aventis Pasteur, a U.S.-based vaccine manufacturer, to allocate unshipped available vaccines to areas of the greatest need: hospitals, long-term care facilities and pediatric health care providers. In addition, the CDC is urging those health care providers who have available vaccines to target their supplies to people who are most at risk. If you are in one of the following groups, the CDC recommends you seek the vaccination: all children aged 6–23 months; adults aged 65 years and older; persons aged 2–64 years with underlying chronic medical conditions; all women who will be pregnant during the influenza season; residents of nursing homes and long-term care facilities; children aged 6 months–18 years on chronic aspirin therapy; health-care workers involved in direct patient care; and out-of-home care givers and household contacts of children aged less than 6 months.

Unfortunately, when there is a shortage, some see a business opportunity. I was disturbed to hear from a Kansas City pharmacist seeking to provide the flu vaccine to residents of a nursing home that the distributor tripled the cost of the vaccine in a matter of a few hours. I contacted Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson to call his attention to this price gouging. I also alerted the Food and Drug Administration, the CDC and the Federal Trade Commission.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) also received reports of price gouging. Kansas Attorney General Phill Kline has now filed suit against Meds-Stat, a Florida distributor, for attempting to over-charge that same Kansas City pharmacy for a vial of the vaccine. One vial usually contains 10 doses of the flu vaccine. Meds-Stat was trying to sell the vial for $900, even though the vial originally sold for $85 one week earlier, before the shortage was announced.

Kansans can be assured that KDHE, the CDC and I will continue to monitor this situation.

For more information on the flu and the flu vaccine for the general public, please visit this website: www.cdc.gov/flu

If you are a health care provider and would like more information: contact KDHE at (785) 296-1500.

To report an incident of price gouging, you can call one my of Kansas offices in Overland Park, Topeka, Dodge City or Wichita or my Washington office at (202) 224-4774. You can also contact Kansas Attorney General Phill Kline at (785) 296-2215.