By the beginning of December, flu vaccine will be available, though we may still experience mild shortages in scattered areas around the country. |
I would call this the smoking gun. All of us have been concerned and have guessed that the data we have so far has been the tip of the iceberg. |
It is extremely important for those with chronic medical conditions and the elderly to get vaccinated. Influenza is a highly contagious disease that kills 10,000 to 20,000 people in the U.S. every year and leads to countless additional hospitalizations. |
It took 12 times the usual dose to protect half of the people who got it. Clearly this isn't the answer. |
It's absolutely heart-wrenching to me to hear these stories and have people die of something so preventable. It's as if each person, each generation, each community has to learn the hard way. |
While there is a delay in obtaining flu vaccine, we can be thankful that there has also been a delay in the start of the flu season. Fortunately there is little flu activity within the U.S. currently. |