Posted: November 1, 2004 at 3:59 p.m. (KRON) -- There are reports of another flu vaccine shortage this year. This time it's children who are affected, because there is not enough mercury-free vaccine to meet the demand.
Adults are not the only ones who may be unable to get a flu shot this year. There are now reports of a shortage of the vaccine for infants.
The vaccine for infants is different than the one parents get. It has no mercury in it, that's because of fears that mercury in vaccines could pose health risks to infants. In fact, some parents and watchdog groups have blamed it for the increase in cases of autism in recent years. This despite several studies, including one by the Institute of Medicine, that found no link between vaccinations and autism.
Parents who don't want to take that risk have been giving their kids the mercury-free alternative. Now some pediatricians are reporting that they don't have enough of that vaccine to meet increased demand.
Part of the problem is that this is the first year that health officials have added infants age 6 to 23 months to the list of high-risk people who need a shot.
Even so, most health officials, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, say infants do not need to go unprotected. They say the adult vaccine is safe for children and that the flu poses a much greater risk than the shot.
Last year 150 children died from the flu, and infants who get the flu have the same rate of hospitalization as frail seniors.
The shortage is not being uniformly experienced around the nation. We did a quick survey around some of the major hospitals in the Bay Area, including those that specialize in treating children. None reported experiencing any shortages. In fact, one hospital said it had a surplus and was sending it to other areas that did not have enough.
(Copyright 2004, KRON 4. All rights reserved.)