More nasal spray flu vaccine coming - officials

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Another 1 million doses of a nasal spray influenza vaccine will be available in the United States this year, Bush administration officials said on Thursday as they sought to calm concerns about a flu shot shortage.

The spray vaccine, called FluMist and made by Gaithersburg, Maryland-based MedImmune Inc., is approved only for healthy people aged 5 to 49. It is not intended for the elderly, very young children and others at high risk of serious flu complications.

The United States will have enough vaccine and antiviral medicines “to cope with this year’s flu season, even if it turns out to be a severe season,” Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson told reporters.

Officials also are negotiating with France and Canada and talking to some European companies in hopes of obtaining any surplus vaccine, Acting Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Lester Crawford said. Up to 5 million more doses might become available, Crawford said.

President Bush, speaking at a campaign stop in Pennsylvania, acknowledged growing public concern about the shortage and sought to offer reassurance and advice.

“If you’re feeling healthy like I’m feeling healthy these days, don’t get in line for the flu shot,” Bush said, alluding to the long lines that have formed in parts of the country.

Shortages of the flu prevention shots have become a campaign issue for Bush as his Democratic challenger, Sen. John Kerry, has accused him of not having done enough to ensure sufficient stocks.

A total of 3 million FluMist doses will be available in the U.S. market for the current flu season, along with 58 million flu shots made by France-based Aventis-Pasteur.

U.S. officials had hoped to have 100 million flu vaccine doses available this year, but maker Chiron Corp. lost its license to make the inoculation on Oct. 5. Emeryville, California-based Chiron had been expected to supply the U.S. market with 48 million doses.

Influenza kills about 36,000 Americans in an average year and lands about 200,000 in the hospital.

Thompson urged seniors not to stand in long lines waiting for the vaccine, as that could threaten their health.

Millions of flu vaccine doses have yet to be distributed, he stressed. Aventis-Pasteur is shipping an average of up to 3 million doses each week to health-care providers.

“Just because your doctor does not have the vaccine today does not mean he or she ... (will) not get it” in the coming weeks, Thompson said.

Democratic vice presidential candidate John Edwards charged Thompson with spending too much time campaigning for Bush. “It’s a problem when the secretary of HHS, instead of dealing with the flu vaccine crisis, is out campaigning in battleground states,” Edwards said.

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