The University Health Center will officially be out of the seasonal flu vaccine today after experiencing unprecedented demand for the shot, said health center director Mike Eyster.
“We have already given out more flu shots than we would normally give in a whole season of the seasonal flu,” Eyster said. “In fact, more than we ever have before.”
The health center ordered an initial 3,000 vaccines for the fall term and preemptively ordered 3,000 more from a second supplier. In the less than two weeks since the University started classes, Eyster said all of the initial 3,000 have run out, the greatest ever increase of students and faculty getting seasonal flu vaccines.
“We ordered two times as much shipment of the seasonal flu shots and thought we had done really well with how many we had received,” Eyster said. “But when we called our second supplier (on Wednesday) they said they didn’t have anymore.”
The health center’s primary supplier is Moore Medical, which did fulfill the health center’s order of 3,000 doses of the vaccine. The health center pre-ordered another 3,000 doses with a second provider, Henry Schein Medical, which Eyster said was unable to provide the vaccine to any of the 250 companies that ordered backup shipments because of great demand.
Pre-ordering additional shipments from different suppliers is standard practice for the health center, Eyster said.
“Every now and again you hear of suppliers running out or having problems,” Eyster said. “So just in case, we use a different provider with our second orders.”
Eyster said the health center will direct students who come in for the vaccine to other clinics, or “even going to Wal-Mart or other drugstores” that might still have supplies.
Eyster said he has heard similar shortages from other health directors in the state. He said U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius’ call for the public to be vaccinated has probably inspired several people to seek vaccination.
As of Wednesday, the health center had administered close to 3,000 seasonal flu vaccines; about 2,000 to students and 851 to staff. In a “regular” flu season, health center nursing director Sharon Harbert said it only averages 1,500 vaccines, “and that’s for the whole season,” not less than two weeks.
Harbert said even with its limited supplies, the University will continue to give out the vaccine as long as supplies last, and encourages everyone to get vaccinated.
“The (University) has students from all around the world bringing in different organisms and germs,” Harbert said. “It is your responsibility to get the flu shot to protect those around you.”
Though he couldn’t say definitely whether it was due to demand for flu shots, Eyster said the health center has seen a general increase of traffic this fall.
“The place seems like it is buzzing,” Eyster said. “We have about a hundred people within an hour coming in for a flu shot every day so far.”
Freshman Saraga Reddy was one of them. On Monday, she got her second-ever seasonal flu vaccine, hoping she doesn’t get sick and miss “classes that could affect (her) grades.”
Reddy agreed that awareness is driving the interest in vaccines.
“People are more aware of the swine flu,” Reddy said. “They are probably trying to avoid anything.”
The health center has already received its initial allotment of H1N1 vaccines, but has only invited health care workers and those working with “at-risk” groups to come in. Eyster expects to receive additional supplies of the H1N1 vaccine each week and will “give it out to the campus community soon,” though he couldn’t set a definite date.
Reddy says she will also get the H1N1 vaccine when it becomes available, but will “wait a week to see how it fares out.” The freshman said many around her have shown
influenza-like illnesses.
“I am more concerned about living with people in the dorms,” Reddy said. “I hear them coughing at night, so I know it’s out there.”
Unlike Reddy, junior Alicia Greenwell has never gotten the seasonal flu vaccine before and feels the recent public interest in H1N1 and seasonal flu is “kind of a big scare.”
“So far my immune system has been strong and I don’t feel like I need to get either of the shots,” Greenwell said. “I just knock on wood that I don’t get sick.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officially announced the start of flu season this week. Eyster expects the amount of people getting the seasonal flu vaccine to remain high, but he said the health center will not be able to accommodate them until he receives more supplies.
“If we don’t have it, we won’t be able to give it out,” he said.
Where Flu Shots Are Available:
- Rite Aid, 57 W. 29th Ave.
- Costco, 2828 Chad Dr.
- Safeway, 145 E. 18th Ave., Clinic on Oct. 17th, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Safeway, 350 E. 40th Ave.