Maryland will receive only about half of the amount of swine flu vaccine federal officials had told the state it could expect in October, as supplies dwindle nationwide.
The Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene originally expected 900,000 to 1 million doses of vaccine to be delivered by the end of the month. That projected number has now dropped to 530,000, spokesman David Paulson said.
The state is still receiving both the nasal-mist and the injectable form of the vaccine and sending it to doctors, clinics and local health departments so it can reach target groups, said Paulson.
“This is a smaller amount that we’re spreading out wide and thin,” he said.
Every state is having the same issues, Paulson said. Swine flu vaccinations are undergoing strict inspections by the Food and Drug Administration.
“The inspection and the tough nature of the scrutiny … has not interrupted the production but has slowed some of the delivery,” Paulson said.
A Virginia health official said that despite the delay, the state is still receiving the vaccine and sending it out. “We do expect that orders of the vaccine will be met and there will be enough for every Virginian who wants it,” said Melodie Martin, spokeswoman for the Virginia Department of Health.
The D.C. Department of Health is still receiving vaccine every day, although the allocation could change depending on availability, said spokeswoman Dena Iverson.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers the following people as members of priority groups for the vaccine: Pregnant women, health care workers, children and young adults ages 6 months to 24 years, people with chronic health problems and people who care for infants under 6 months.
