Vaccine for the H1N1 virus, commonly known as swine flu, arrived in Texas this week, but state health officials say it was less than they expected to receive in the first batch.
Texas had been expected to receive 237,000 doses of the vaccine -- 142,400 doses arrived from the Centers for Disease Control.
Texas Department of State Health Services officials say the doses -- all of which at the FluMist brand nasal spray -- arrived earlier than expected, but it's not enough for public vaccination clinics.
More than 10,000 doses will be sent to local public health departments and regional sites, which will determine the best ways to distribute the vaccine. The rest will be sent to some of the doctors, clinics and other providers who have already registered to receive doses so they can vaccinate health 2-year-olds and 3-year-olds, which have been identified as part of the high priority group.
Health officials say the FluMist is only for people older than 2 and younger than 50 who are not pregnant and do not have certain chronic health conditions.
According to a statement from state health officials:
"DSHS officials expect the weekly availability of the vaccine to be low for the first few weeks with volume predicted to increase later this month. They are urging providers and the public to be patient."
A total of 15 million doses are expected to arrive in Texas by the end of January.
Vaccinations against swine flu have already started for health care workers in Indiana, Illinois and Tennessee, but they won't gear up in earnest until mid-October, when at least 40 million doses will have rolled out, with more coming each week. Even then, first doses are supposed to be for the people at highest risk of catching swine flu. Arkansas earmarked its first shipment, expected Tuesday, for in-school vaccinations. Pennsylvania, too, will send early shipments to school-age kids in parts of the state where swine flu already is active.
But this is uncharted territory. You really can't plan too far ahead to say, "I'll schedule my swine flu shot on Oct. 16 at Clinic X." Only as shipments start arriving will local doctors, clinics, school vaccination programs and drugstores get word that their doses are coming and how much. Each state health department decides that.
"Take a deep breath, be patient, wait a couple of days, make another phone call and cut everyone a little slack because it's a little hectic out there, folks," says Dr. William Schaffner, a flu vaccine specialist at Vanderbilt University.
And keep track of which vaccine you've gotten: Recipients of the swine flu vaccine are being given "vaccination record" cards to help. Seasonal vaccine is widely available now, even through workplaces, but the lower-risk general public may not get access to the swine flu vaccine until November.
Here's what you need to know:
Q: Why not wait to start until there's enough for everybody instead of the confusing here-and-there vaccinations?
A: Even though Sunday was the official start of flu season, this H1N1 wasn't heeding the calendar - it's already causing illness in nearly every state. That means getting vaccine to the people at highest risk is a race. So each week, states will distribute however much they have on hand.
Q: If factories are still racing vaccine out the door, how can I be sure it's safe?
A: The Food and Drug Administration clears batches of vaccine before they're released. The H1N1 vaccine is made in the same way as the regular winter flu vaccine that is used with very few, minor side effects by nearly 100 million Americans a year. There's no biological reason the H1N1 vaccine should react any differently, and no red flags have appeared in studies of several thousand people.
"What I want people to know is that no corners have been cut at all," said Dr. Anne Schuchat of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In Indianapolis Monday, Marion County Health Department director Dr. Virginia Caine was even more blunt: "Its safe. It's not an experimental vaccine," she said as she held up a dose headed to area hospitals.
Q: Why is the nasal-spray vaccine arriving before the shots, and can I use either one?
A: They're considered equally effective, but FluMist finished brewing sooner. There is an important difference, though. Flu shots, made of killed flu virus, are for anyone without an egg allergy. FluMist, besides the egg issue, is only for use in healthy people ages 2 to 49 - no pregnancy or underlying conditions. It's made of live but weakened flu virus. So some people on the first-in-line list for the new H1N1 vaccine aren't eligible for FluMist.
Q: Who's first in line?
A: Pregnant women; the young, ages 6 months through 24 years; people younger than 64 who have conditions such as asthma or diabetes that increase the risk of complications from flu; health workers and caregivers of newborns.
Q: I thought flu was most dangerous to people 65 and older.
A: Regular winter flu is most dangerous to older adults, but the new H1N1 is predominantly striking the young.
Q: How many shots, or squirts, will I need?
A: Most people will need one dose each of the swine flu vaccine and the regular winter flu vaccine. But health authorities believe children under 10 will need two doses of the swine flu vaccine, about three weeks apart. And some very young children getting their first regular flu vaccination will need two doses of it, too, for a total a four inoculations.
Q: If the new H1N1 is the only flu strain making people sick now, why do I need the regular shot?
A: Health authorities expect regular flu strains to start circulating, too, as it gets colder; seasonal flu typically peaks in January.
Q: Can I get both types of vaccine at the same visit?
A: If you're lucky enough to find a provider who has both at the same time, a jab in each arm is OK, or a jab of one and a squirt of the other. If you opt for the FluMist version of each vaccine, however, you're supposed to wait three to four weeks between squirts.
Q: What will it cost?
A: The H1N1 vaccine itself is free because the government bought it with your tax dollars. But providers can charge a fee for administering it, usually about $20. Regular flu shots tend to cost up to $35.
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