State Lifts All Age Limits on Flu Shots

With 400,000 doses of flu vaccine in hand but few people seeking it, California health officials lifted all age restrictions Friday and said everyone was now eligible to receive the shots.

The shift came three months after a major shortage of the vaccine hit the nation. Health officials responded by making the shots available to “high risk” patients, such as young children and senior citizens.

But the state ended up with more available vaccine than it expected.

By removing the restrictions, officials hope hospitals and doctors will purchase the shots and make them available to patients.

“We have a big chunk of vaccine that healthcare providers can still order,” said Robert Schechter, co-chairman of the California Department of Health Services.

“One way of assuring that somebody is going to order it is to have as few restrictions as possible,” he said. “We in California still strongly encourage high-risk people to get a shot, but at this point we want to make sure no vaccine is wasted.”

The flu season usually peaks in late January or early February, and officials said there was still time for people to get the shots and gain the benefits of the vaccine.

But Schechter stressed that people needed the inoculations soon, because the medicine takes a week or so to become effective.

Officials are eager to clear the stockpiled drug now, because the vaccine is only good until the end of the flu season, which usually occurs by April.

Most patients receive the vaccine through healthcare providers. But some doctors have been reluctant to order new supplies, questioning whether there is still much demand for the shots. Each dose costs $8, and it cannot be returned.

Los Angeles County Public Health Director Jonathan Fielding urged those who want the vaccine to call their doctors and request it.

In addition, those seeking vaccine in Los Angeles County can find a list of clinics at the health department’s website: www.lapublichealth.org.

The nation’s flu vaccine supply was cut in half after contamination was discovered at the Chiron Corp. production plant in Liverpool, England.

Shortly after the announcement, elderly and sick patients formed long lines outside supermarkets and pharmacies in hopes of securing a shot.

Private doctors found their orders for vaccine going unfilled, and county health departments held closely regulated flu clinics.

But months after the scare, interest in getting a flu shot dwindled.

Some health officials speculated that people were discouraged by the prospects of long lines.

Others said people decided to forgo their shots because they believed those in greater need should get them first.

Last month, the state reduced the age restriction from 65 to 50. But that didn’t clear the stockpile. And since then, the state has received more of the medicine.

In addition to the 400,000 doses of the adult vaccine, the state has 265,000 doses of the pediatric version available.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 40% to 49% of the 10 million Californians at high risk have received the shot this year. Health officials believe that is about the same figure as last year.