Influenza vaccine delay

NEW YORK, July 28 (Praxis Press) A substantial delay in the distribution of influenza vaccine is anticipated for this year's flu season, according to the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices (ACIP) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and implementation of organized influenza vaccination campaigns should be delayed. Annual vaccination against influenza is the primary means for minimizing serious adverse outcomes from influenza virus infections. But lower than anticipated production yields for this year's influenza A (H3N2) vaccine component and other manufacturing problems are expected to delay the distribution of influenza vaccine for the 2000-01 influenza season in the United States. The ACIP recommends that for the 2000-01 influenza season, implementation of organized influenza vaccination campaigns should be delayed but that routine influenza vaccination activities in clinics, offices, hospitals, nursing homes, and other health-care settings should proceed as normal. They also recommend that provider-specific contingency plans...