BY MATT AUERBACH
Staff Writer
Now that the first influenza-related death has occurred in New Jersey, many Central Jersey residents are more concerned than ever about the amount of vaccine available to them.
Dr. Eddy Bresnitz, senior assistant commissioner and state epidemiologist for the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, understands those concerns.
"The demand for vaccine is exceeding the supply this year," he said. "That’s very different from previous years."
Bresnitz attributes the shortage of vaccine to two things. First, an early outbreak of the illness.
"The flu season started early this year," he said. "No one expected to get the first reported cases in October."
The second reason is guesswork.
"Every year, the companies who make the vaccine project how much will be needed," he said.
"They don’t want to make too much because they’ll lose money. On the other hand, they don’t want to make too little and leave doctors, hospitals and other organizations in the lurch. Unfortunately, that’s what has happened this year," he continued.
There are approximately 36,000 cases of influenza reported annually across the United States, Bresnitz noted.
Another factor causing overwhelming demand has been reports of flu-related deaths nationwide.
"There’s been so much media attention that it’s become a double-edged sword," said Bresnitz. "On one hand, it’s good that people found out the flu season started early so they could take precautions," he said. "On the other hand, the reports of deaths — especially to young children — have been quite alarming to the population."
Locally, Woodbridge is feeling the vaccine crunch, according to Patrick Hanson, director of the Woodbridge health Department.
"We’ve exhausted our allotted amount of 1,750 [doses]," he said. "We received 200 more doses, but they’re to be used for township residents who have already put their names on a waiting list."
Another big problem is the nature of the virus.
"The current predominant strain that’s causing the illness is not contained in the vaccine," said Bresnitz. "The vaccine can handle all known strains, but until we can identify the predominant one, we’ve got our work cut out for us."
Bresnitz said the state will be getting a few thousand doses this week, with approximately another 5,000 arriving in the middle of January.
"Those doses will be going to local health departments," he said.
Meanwhile, an alternative to the injectable vaccine is available.
"FluMist is an inhalable vaccine that has been approved for healthy patients between the ages of 5 and 49," Bresnitz said. "People should definitely look into using it."
The inhalable vaccine costs $46.
At the moment, the only insurance company in the state that covers FluMist is Blue Cross/Blue Shield.
So what can people do to protect themselves against the flu?
"Everything your mother told you to do when you were growing up holds true today," said Bresnitz. "Cover your mouth when you sneeze or cough. Make sure you wash your hands. If you have a cold, refrain from shaking hands. If possible, don’t go to work or school if you feel a cold coming on. If there’s a child in your home with a risk factor like asthma, the entire family should try to get FluMist. Most importantly, use common sense."
Bresnitz is also urging doctors to provide masks for family members to use in case of illness.
Bresnitz is confident the state can get through this.
"New Jersey is doing everything it can to provide information on where to go and whom to contact," he said.