Media Release

FOR: Immediate Release
DATE: October 6, 2004, 1 p.m.
CONTACT: Maria Wah-Fitta (office 222-3998, cell 440-2027)

Department of Health issues Influenza Vaccine Advisory

The Rhode Island Department of Health (HEALTH) is asking Rhode Islanders who are not in priority groups to skip their influenza vaccination this year.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the following priority groups for influenza vaccine (of equal importance) are:

• All children aged 6–23 months,
• Adults 65 or older years,
• Persons between the ages of 2–64 years with underlying chronic medical conditions,
• All women who will be pregnant during influenza season,
• Residents of nursing homes and long-term care facilities,
• Children 6 months-18 years of age on chronic aspirin therapy,
• Health-care workers with direct patient care, and
• Out-of-home caregivers and household contacts of children aged under 6 months.

The unusual request for some groups to skip their influenza shots was made by Patricia A. Nolan, MD, MPH, Director of HEALTH, at the direction of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) when that agency announced that approximately one half of the expected supply of this year’s influenza vaccine would be unavailable.

Yesterday (October 5, 2004) CDC was notified by Chiron Corporation that no further doses of its influenza vaccine (Fluvirin®) would be available for distribution in the United States for the 2004-05 influenza season. This amounts to approximately 48 million doses, about half the country’s supply. The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in the United Kingdom, where Chiron’s influenza vaccine is produced, has suspended the company’s license to manufacture Fluvirin vaccine in its Liverpool facility for three months. Chiron influenza vaccine previously distributed in the United States has been tested and found safe.

“The supply of influenza vaccine we now expect will not cover everyone who is at risk,” Dr. Nolan explained. “Therefore we are asking healthy individuals who are not in the priority groups to skip their shots. The Rhode Island Department of Health is working to assure an adequate supply of influenza vaccine for the most high-risk individuals in the state. Yesterday the Department of Administration approved a rapid procurement mechanism to allow HEALTH to purchase the maximum supply of vaccine available for Rhode Islanders.”

As of today, CDC has reported no influenza outbreaks in the United States.

The Department is also assessing vaccine supplies currently at physicians’ practices, health care institutions and private businesses. “All these groups are encouraged to check their fax machines today for a Health Department survey and to return this survey as directed,” Dr. Nolan stated.

About 54 million doses of Fluzone®, manufactured Aventis Pasteur, is expected to be available in the United States this season. Of these doses, approximately 30 million doses already have been distributed. In addition, approximately 1.1 million doses of live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV/Flumist®), manufactured by MedImmune, will be available. About 2 million doses from the Strategic National Stockpile will be available later in the season.

CDC is encouraging healthy persons aged 5 to 49, including health-care workers (except for those who care for severely immunocompromised patients in special care units) and persons caring for children six months old and younger, to use the Flumist influenza vaccine, if it is available.

Those who should not get influenza vaccine before talking with their doctor include individuals who have a severe allergy (i.e. anaphylactic allergic reaction) to hens' eggs and individuals who previously developed Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) within 6 weeks after getting a influenza shot.

Additional general information on the influenza vaccine, influenza symptoms and precautions to avoid influenza are available from the Department of Health’s Family Health Information Line at 1-800-942-7434 and on the Department’s web site: www.HEALTH.RI.gov. The Family Health Information Line will offer extended hours of operation today and tomorrow from 8:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. On Friday the Line will open from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.