Officials pushing flu shots — for all

For years Americans have been given mixed messages about flu vaccination. Vaccine shortages, distribution controversies and ever-changing federal health directives have made the annual ritual anything but predictable.

This year is no exception.

With a record amount of vaccine available in the United States this year, federal, state and local governments are collaborating on a media campaign to push immunization through the rest of the year.

Proclaiming the week of Nov. 27 to Dec. 3 "National Influenza Vaccination Week," the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is pushing immunization for just about everyone.

"Essentially, anyone who wishes to be vaccinated should seek out vaccine," said CDC spokesman Curtis Allen. "Most vaccine efforts begin to wane after Thanksgiving, but this year, we are hoping to impress upon people that vaccination in December and even later is still good."

Beyond that, no one wants to see vaccine destroyed. Doctors, pharmacies, grocery stores and other purchasers eat the cost of unused flu vaccine. Manufacturers, meanwhile, must discard any vaccine that is not distributed in a given year.

Unlike previous years, when flu vaccine makers dropped out of the market, suffered manufacturing problems or shipping delays, this year four companies have produced 115 million doses and already distributed 92 million of them. The earlier annual production record is 83 million doses.

"We are very concerned that vaccine might go to waste because we have more this year than ever," said Dr. Howard Backer, chief of the immunization branch at the California Department of Health Services. "Manufacturers aren't going to stay in the market if they lose money, so it's very important that we convince the public and providers to actively encourage vaccination."

With an ever-growing number of Americans deemed "at risk" for serious complications of influenza, officials can only hope their message gets out.

For the first time this year, children ages 2 to 5 are on the list of those who should get vaccinated against influenza. Others urged to get immunized are children aged 6 months to 2 years, adults 50 or older, anyone with a chronic disease, pregnant women and anyone in close contact with those at high risk, including health care workers and caregivers.

Federal officials estimate that 218 million people fall within the recommended risk groups in the United States and should get vaccinated, up from 185 million last year.