Government official tells people to relax about flu vaccine

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U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson said Monday there will be enough flu vaccine available for most people who need it and told seniors to stop standing in long lines to get a shot.

“We want people to relax,” Thompson said at a news conference in Tampa. “The flu season is not here.”

Seniors have been standing in long lines at shopping plazas around the country to get flu shot since news of a shortage surfaced this month.

British regulators shut down shipments from Chiron Corp., which had made millions of flu shots in an English factory for the U.S. market.

That cut the U.S. supply of flu shots almost in half.

Thompson said flu vaccine will be reallocated to parts of the country where it is needed most. Most at risk to have severe complications from the flu are seniors and young children.

“We don’t want people to stand in line,” he said. “We want them to understand that if you are a senior, there is a good possibility you will get a vaccine.”

He advised people to first seek the shot from their doctor or a clinic. If that fails, they should contact the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, he said. 

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