BY DAVE BENJAMIN
Staff Writer
MANALAPAN — Township health officials are warning residents that the influenza vaccine manufactured by the Chiron Corp. will not be available for the 2004-05 flu season.
“Manalapan’s expected flu vaccine supply for the 2004 public clinics has been removed from the market,” said Dave Richardson, health officer. “No alternative supply has been identified at this time.”
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been notified by the Chiron Corporation that none of its influenza vaccine, Fluvirin, will be available for distribution for this year’s flu season.
The company indicated that the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency in the United Kingdom, where Chiron’s Fluvirin vaccine is produced, has suspended the company’s license to manufacture the vaccine in its Liverpool facility for three months, preventing any release of the vaccine for this influenza season.
Richardson said the action taken by the agency will reduce by approximately one-half the expected supply of flu shots available in the United States.
“We are currently working … to see if there are any other supplies that can be shared with us or clinics that will be open to our residents,” Richardson said. “We are recommending that residents contact their physicians for a flu vaccination. Also, residents should look for opportunities at area supermarkets and pharmacies.”
On Oct. 5, the CDC in coordination with the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices issued interim recommendations for influenza vaccination this season.
High risk groups who are a priority for vaccination with the flu shot include:
• all children ages 6 months to 23 months.
• adults age 65 and over.
• individuals age 2 to 64 with underlying chronic medical conditions.
• all women who will be pregnant during the flu season.
• residents of nursing homes and long-term care facilities.
• children 6 months to 18 years who are on chronic aspirin therapy.
• healthcare workers with direct patient care.
• out-of-home caregivers and household contacts of children age 6 months and younger.
People who are not included in one of the priority groups are being asked to forego or defer vaccination at the present time.
Influenza is primarily spread from person to person through the air. Virus particles are released into the air through coughing and by the sneezing of persons who are ill with influenza.
Further information is available at the Manalapan Health Department, (732) 446-8345 or www.cdc.gov/flu, or through the CDC public response hotline, 888-246-2675 (English), 888-246-2857 (Spanish), or 866-874-2646 (TTY).