1 Million More Doses of FluMist to Be Provided

A Maryland manufacturer will provide an additional 1 million doses of its FluMist vaccine, making a total of 3 million doses of the nasal spray available, Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy G. Thompson said Thursday as officials tried to deal with a shortage of flu shots.

However, FluMist, which contains weakened live virus, cannot be used by those at highest risk for flu complications. It is only approved for healthy people ages 5 to 49.

Thompson encouraged healthcare workers and people who care for high-risk individuals to use the nasal spray.

“It is safe. It is protective and people should avail themselves of that opportunity,” he said.

Federal officials had hoped to offer 100 million doses of flu vaccine this year.

But in early October, manufacturer Chiron Corp. was barred from shipping between 46 million and 48 million doses to the U.S. due to contamination at its Liverpool, England, plant.

On Tuesday, Thompson announced Aventis Pasteur had scrambled to provide 2.6 million extra flu shots, for a total of 58 million doses. The extra vaccine, however, won’t be available until January. The flu season typically peaks in January or later.

Between injected and inhaled vaccines and antiviral drugs, enough medicine will be available to treat 100 million people this flu season, officials said. Federal authorities have asked healthy adults to forgo vaccination to leave shots for those at greatest risk: the very young, the very old and people with chronic illnesses.

Gaithersburg, Md.-based MedImmune has the capacity to make 20 million doses of FluMist. Dr. Jim Young, president of research and development, testified before Congress that the company discarded 4 million unused doses of its 5 million doses last year. The company scaled back production this year to 2 million doses.

It restarted its plant this fall to boost this year’s production. Beginning the first week of November through early December, MedImmune expects to ship 400,000 doses per week, said David Mott, MedImmune president. People will be charged $16 to $23.50 per dose.