Flu spreads to 24 states

Published 9:00 pm Thursday, December 11, 2003

The number of states hit hard by the flu has nearly doubled to 24 in the past week, the government said Thursday as it rushed to ship 100,000 doses of the vaccine to combat shortages and head off what could become one of the worst flu seasons in years.

The outbreak has taken an enormous toll nationwide: At least 20 children have died. Schools have shut down. Emergency rooms have been filled with sick children. And doctors’ offices have been forced to turn away droves of people seeking flu shots.

Some experts predict this year’s death toll easily could surpass the annual average of 36,000 flu deaths. Health officials are unsure why the outbreak has hit so early, why it has caused so many problems in the West, and why it seems to be so lethal in children.

"If it were me, I’d be on the phone to your doctor, calling around to see if you could find some" vaccine, said Dr. Randall Todd, Nevada’s epidemiologist.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the flu has hit all 50 states at least sporadically, and the season has not yet peaked nationally. Nearly the entire western half of the country — California being the major exception — is now considered to have widespread flu. Last week, 13 states had widespread outbreaks.

Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson said the government had arranged for 100,000 doses of adult vaccine to be shipped from Aventis Pasteur immediately and distributed based on each state’s population. In addition, 150,000 doses of children’s vaccine are expected to be shipped to the states by January, Thompson said.

The nation’s two producers of flu shots reported last week that they had shipped their entire supply of about 80 million doses. However, Aventis had set aside 250,000 doses at the CDC’s request last week when it became clear that shortages might develop.

Dr. Julie Gerberding, director of the CDC, said the center is recommending that doctors give high-risk groups top priority for flu shots. That means the elderly, children under 2, those with chronic medical conditions, and women in the second and third trimester of pregnancy.

"The flu season is far from over, we are going to have to prioritize," Gerberding said.

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