The Allegheny County Health Department might not receive any more flu vaccine, but its leaders think they might not need more because the peak of flu season may be past.
A vaccine shortage shut down the department's flu clinic in Oakland this week and suppliers might not make more vaccine to re-supply the county, the department director, Dr. Bruce Dixon, said Wednesday.
"For the most part, it's not a life-threatening illness, but (the vaccine) would be nice to get," Dixon said.
The percentage of people showing up in emergency rooms who have flu-like symptoms declined for the past 10 days, according to data the Health Department collected from eight hospitals. That might mean the end of flu season is as close as three or four weeks away, department public health physician Jim Lando told the county Board of Health.
"I think we've probably seen the peak. I hope so," Dixon said.
In Argentina, where winter ended in September, both swine flu and influenza arrived at once. There was no second wave of seasonal flu infections once the early swine flu season passed, Lando said. If that pattern repeats this winter in North America, it would mean the flu season ends here in just a few weeks, once the current rate of infections subsides.
But that scenario could keep the county short on influenza vaccine, Dixon said. With a possible early end to flu season, manufactures won't want to make a lot of vaccine they can't sell, he said. The leaves department officials with no idea about whether they can get more vaccine and reopen the clinic.
Leaving people unvaccinated — especially vulnerable populations such as the elderly — makes common sense practices like frequent hand washing and staying home during illnesses more important, Dixon said.
Vaccine supplier Sanofi-Pasteur failed to fill the county's full order of seasonal flu vaccine when the clinic opened Oct. 19, according to the Health Department. Sanofi-Pasteur was overwhelmed by concurrent requests for seasonal flu vaccine and the H1N1 vaccine, company spokeswoman Donna Cary said.
The company expected to complete and ship the rest of its vaccine orders by the end of the month, Cary said.
Some private health providers reported shortages, though others have not.
The American Lung Association has a "find a flu clinic" feature online at flucliniclocator.org. The site warns that users should call ahead to verify a clinic has the vaccine in stock. The American Healthcare Group Inc. is running four flu clinics this week in and around the city, with shots free to some and $28 to others.
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