Recently, the Chiron Corporation notified the United States and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that it would not be able to provide its promised flu vaccine supply to millions of expecting citizens. Due to contamination, the company's license was suspended for three months, preventing at least half of the anticipated vaccine from reaching American citizens in time for flu season. Rightly so, this dilemma has caused quite an uproar nationwide as the chance for protection against the illness becomes less of a certainty.
Currently, 46 to 48 million doses of the vaccine are said to be available, nearly half of the projected need of 100 million. With this in mind, doctors and clinics have begun to prioritize, emphasizing the importance of using existing doses on senior citizens, young children, pregnant women, health care workers and those with chronic medical conditions. While I agree with the urgency of their situations, I feel it is difficult to name one group of people as being more susceptible to the flu than another.
As a college student, I was alarmed when I reviewed some of the key reminders about avoiding influenza. Common ways of evading the illness are covering your mouth when you sneeze, washing hands frequently and wiping down devices frequently used by the public. While I put effort into following these guidelines, it is quite common for lecture halls to expose a number of uncovered sneezes, for busy-scheduled students to wash their hands minimal times in the day and for bus rides and computer/telephone use to expose students to a number of unavoidable germs. In this respect, it would seem young adults have the same vulnerability toward contracting the flu as any other American citizen.
This fall, it was recommended by my family doctor to get the flu shot, but to wait until I was on campus and the vaccine was readily available to me. However, because our age group does not fall under the \high-risk"" category, I might be waiting longer than anticipated. The only comfort I have received for my worry came Tuesday when the FDA informed residents that 2.6 million additional doses of the vaccine would become available by January. My excitement dwindled, however, after realizing the arrival of shots would emerge just at the peak of flu season and therefore might do little to help as it takes at least two weeks for people to develop immunity. It is also worth noting that 2.6 million doses will only account for a little over 18 percent of the still needed amount of vaccines.
Another major group feeling the damage of this shortage is none other than American service members. Normally, Navy Hospitals expect to receive 50 to 60 thousand doses of flu vaccine for more than 40 thousand active duty Marines, dependents, and retirees, but hospital spokespeople report they haven't received a single dose. Supposedly, those who are deployed will receive their shots, but all others will have to do without. Members of the military also have yet to find their divisions reserved as high priority in the fight to receive vaccinations.
Even more amazing is President Bush's confession that the government has been planning for this event literally since the year 2001. Obviously, that planning was deficient as we have arrived at this situation and only now is the federal government scrambling to get more manufacturers involved. The prospect of a long-term solution has become an urgent one as consumers wish to avoid this conflict in years to come.
While there is little do but wait, this year's shortage of vaccines is the result of poor planning and a lack of accountability on the part of our government. Presidential candidate John Kerry brings up an interesting point in saying ""If you can't get flu vaccines to Americans, how are you going to protect them against bioterrorism?"" While I believe this statement should be taken into serious consideration by current administration, the biggest problem exists in the here and now. Unfortunately, like many others, I am left to wait.
