CDC director: H1N1 flu ‘widespread,’ vaccine in high demand – MedCity Morning Read, Oct. 7, 2009

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ATLANTA, Georgia – Demand for the H1N1 flu vaccine is currently outstripping supply, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said during a briefing Tuesday.

At this point, there is “only some vaccine and not everyone can receive that vaccine,” said Dr. Thomas Frieden, the director. However, he didn’t seem to think that trend would continue.

“We expect that fairly soon, supply may well outstrip demand,” he said. “The challenge will be to try to ensure the people who [benefit] the most have every opportunity to be vaccinated.”

Frieden said the flu is widespread in most of the country. In some areas, cases are increasing, but in others, they are decreasing.

Citing CDC data, the Associated Press said that reports of H1N1 flu are falling a bit in the New York-New Jersey area; the Southeast; the Midwest; the central Plains; and the region that includes Hawaii, California, Nevada and Arizona.

Frieden made a push for people to get vaccinated, noting that flu season typically runs until May. “So, we’ve got many, many months ahead of us where we don’t know what will happen and we need to take the best steps we can to protect ourselves,” he said.

The H1N1 flu vaccine is now available in the nasal spray form, and all states have placed orders. Next week, Frieden said, the injectable vaccine will roll off the production line.

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