Illinois Gov. wants to import European flu vaccine

Illinois authorities asked on Monday for federal approval to import from Europe thousands of doses of flu vaccine that the state located through its controversial program to buy cheaper medicines for older Americans.

The U.S. shortage of vaccine as the flu season approaches has become a nightmare for those seeking flu shots, and a political issue ahead of November's presidential election.

Illinois Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich said his emissaries located 30,000 doses of flu vaccine from French maker Aventis-Pasteur and may have found an additional 32,000 to 57,000 doses.

Blagojevich said GlaxoSmithKline Plc in Great Britain could be a source for additional doses, but the U.S. Food and Drug Administration must approve any transactions.

The extra doses, at a bargain price of $7 apiece, would be distributed to 150,000 older Americans in state nursing homes.

"After scouring Europe for as much flu vaccine as they could find, we were able to identify at least 30,000 doses that can be shipped within hours of approval by the FDA," Blagojevich said. "I'm calling on the FDA to act as quickly as possible to approve this transaction. Time is of the essence."

The federal government has sought to make up for the loss of half the nation's flu vaccine supply by finding millions of additional doses, some that won't be available until January.

The need was created when problems at Chiron Corp's Liverpool plant were found by British and U.S. regulators, resulting in the loss of 48 million doses.

An FDA official said the agency has contacted a number of companies in its search for additional doses of the flu vaccine and the vaccine located by Illinois may be among the supplies the FDA is looking at.

Blagojevich has tangled with federal health authorities who question the safety of importing cheaper prescription drugs under his program utilizing wholesale suppliers in Canada and Britain.

More than 30,000 Americans die from flu complications each year. The 2003 flu season peaked in December in the Midwest, state authorities said.