HHS announces delay in H1N1 vaccine distribution.

ABC World News (8/17, story 7, 1:55, Gibson) reported, "Protection against the swine flu is going to be delayed for millions of Americans. Federal officials now say that only about a third of the swine flu vaccine the country is counting on will be available by mid-October. That's when the mass vaccination campaign is scheduled to begin."

The CBS Evening News (8/17, lead story, 2:40, Rodriguez) reported that the H1N1 flu virus is "expected to make a comeback this fall, and US health officials had predicted 120 million doses of vaccine would be available by mid-October. But today, they said no, we'll only have 45 million." Dr. William Schaffner of the Vanderbilt University Medical Center said the delay "gives the virus a little bit more of an advantage," adding "the fact that we have fewer doses I think actually will focus attention. It will mean that we all will have to be much more explicit about whom we will ask to show up."

The AP (8/18, Neergaard) reports, "The US won't have nearly as much swine flu vaccine ready by mid-October as long predicted -- 45 million doses instead of the anticipated 120 million, a federal official said Monday." Health and Human Services spokesman Bill Hall said the new estimate was "not a shortage but a delay," adding that more vaccine would arrive shortly afterwards, with "about 20 million more doses being shipped weekly until the government reaches the full 195 million doses ordered." Manufacturing issues were blamed for the October delay, including "a limited number of...so-called finish-and-fill facilities," and the development of a test intended to ensure the doses "are at the proper strength." Hall indicated that the shortened supply would initially result in smaller vaccination campaigns.

Reuters (8/18, Fox) reports that the revised estimate would also push back the United States estimate for required immunizations to the first week of December. The Wall Street Journal (8/18, McKay) runs a brief Q&A regarding the expected H1N1 resurgence that reflects the revised vaccination estimates.

CDC urges Americans to ensure all vaccinations are up-to-date. The Washington Post (8/18, Saslow) reports that while the H1N1 vaccine is receiving the majority of attention, "the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is reminding Americans to make sure all of their vaccinations are up-to-date," including those intended to fight diseases "such as shingles, human papillomavirus (HPV), tetanus, meningitis, whooping cough and pneumococcal disease." At a news conference in July, the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) " tried mightily to stay focused on their message of encouraging adults to get vaccinated, but they kept bumping into healthcare-reform issues: Discussion of the pricey shingles vaccine brought up questions about Medicare and prescription drug costs. The role of primary care doctors in educating patients about appropriate vaccines led to discussion of the shortage of general practitioners."

BioSante announces vaccine strengthening drug. The AP (8/17) reported, "BioSante Pharmaceuticals Inc. said Monday that its product candidate BioVant improved the effectiveness of avian and swine flu vaccines in preclinical studies on animals." The drug was found to have "improved the animals' immune response to the diseases." The company "said BioVant may make lower-dose vaccines more convenient, and the drug worked best when administered in a nasal spray. Results from the study were presented at the Immunotherapeutics & Vaccine Summit in Providence, RI."

AMA Morning Rounds // Copyright © 2009 by Custom Briefings