By Joy Pierce Mathews for Summit Medical Group 

In a recent press brief from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Director Thomas R. Frieden, MD, MPH, discussed myths concerning delivery delays for the H1N1 influenza vaccine. Dr. Frieden noted, “misinformation spreads more rapidly even than the flu, so any rumor has a risk of creating concern and we need to deal with that as it arises.”

To help clarify questions about delivery for the H1N1 vaccine, Dr. Frieden said that:

• Production, transportation, and storage challenges have delayed delivery of the vaccine
• Decades of underfunding in health care as well as the fiscal crisis (ie, layoffs, furloughs, hiring freezes, and purchasing and contract difficulties) have complicated the process of distributing vaccinations
• Seasonal flu vaccines are typically given over many months, whereas the H1N1 vaccine will be given more quickly—an approach that is likely to cause logistical problems, long wait times, and overcrowding in some clinics

Responding to the controversy about distributing the vaccine as it became available or holding it until the entire supply was complete, Dr. Frieden described a "choice between having the vaccine stack up in warehouses until we had enough to distribute substantial quantities everywhere, or getting it out as soon as it was available for distribution." Noting that vaccines come "…in batches from five different factories, he added that "…the only ethical answer was to get [the vaccine] out as rapidly as possible particularly since we have flu spreading widely."

Dr. Frieden said that although delivering the H1N1 flu vaccination will continue to be challenging; vaccinations are the best prevention for influenza. He emphasized that research shows no significant change in the genetic makeup of the H1N1 virus. "That’s really good news," said Dr. Frieden, meaning that "the vaccine…is an excellent match with the virus that continues to circulate. This suggests that [the vaccine is] likely to be highly effective in preventing illness."

Reference
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Weekly 2009 H1N1 flu media briefing. http://www.cdc.gov/media/transcripts/2009/t090925.htm. Accessed October 28, 2009.