Seasonal Flu Shortage

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Story Published: Nov 17, 2009 at 9:28 PM PDT

By Molly Kelleher

TRI-CITIES -- You may want the shot, but you can't get it. But Action News may have found one loop hole. A viewer called us upset that she can't get the season flu shot.

"I was surprised to hear them tell me there were no more flu shots," said Beatrice Gowdy.

It was something Gowdy never heard her doctor say before. They're out of seasonal flu shots. The 71- year-old has got them every year. But this year her doctors, pharmacists and the health district were all out.

"I just don't want to get the flu because I'm a student and around a lot of people and also I have health issues. I'm a diabetic and I have a heart condition so I am at risk," said Gowdy.

"It is very frustrating on our end. We have a large population that depends on us and they're upset and scared and we don't have any good answers other than it's just not available." said Heather Hill with the Benton-Franklin Health Department.

The reason is that other flu. Hill says manufacturers shunted production of the seasonal flu to get an H1N1 vaccine out.

The Benton-Franklin Health District ordered 10,000 seasonal shots. An order of 5,000 was canceled because they decided to focus on H1N1 and another order of 5,000 only came in with half with promises that more will come later.

So our health district only got one-fourth of their order.

"We still have between 600 to 900 doses still possibly coming in. And they are going to arrive late. They can't tell us when," said Hill.

But in the meantime, there may be one solution for folks like Beatrice. Action News found out that Prosser's health district office does still have some shots, for just about all ages.

The health district warns the Prosser office is limited so unless you really think you need the shot, don't swamp the one nurse on staff there.

And if you don't get the shot, there is always good hygiene to keep the flu bug away.

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