NEW NASAL FLU VACCINE PLENTIFUL, PLENTY COSTLY.Byline: Mariko Thompson Staff Writer With a nasty flu season
The flu vaccine is a vaccine to protect against the highly variable influenza virus. The annual flu kills an estimated 36,000 people in the United States. administered as a nasal spray Nasal sprays are used for the nasal delivery of a drug or drugs, generally to alleviate cold or allergy symptoms such as nasal congestion. Although delivery methods vary, most nasal sprays function by instilling a fine mist into the nostril by action of a hand-operated pump . Approved by the Food and Drug Administration earlier this year and touted as the answer to those who fear the jab of a needle, FluMist, from MedImmune Vaccines, costs twice as much as a flu shot and can't be used on high-risk groups such as seniors or toddlers. A check with local doctor's offices and pharmacies found dwindling dwin·dle v. dwin·dled, dwin·dling, dwin·dles v.intr. To become gradually less until little remains. v.tr. To cause to dwindle. See Synonyms at decrease. supplies of flu shots, and pharmacist Mike Zarkesh at Northridge Tower Pharmacy said he had seen a spike in interest in FluMist this week. Last weekend, the pharmacy gave the last of its 600 doses of the flu shot. With no shots available, the 35 doses of FluMist that he purchased are nearly gone. He expects to order more. ``The shortage is what triggered it,'' Zarkesh said. ``I have a ton of calls.'' Dr. Marc Lavin invested in 20 doses of the nasal spray and has yet to administer a single one this year. ``You'd think somebody who really hates needles would get one,'' said Lavin, an internist internist /in·tern·ist/ (in-ter´nist) a specialist in internal medicine. in·ter·nist n. A physician specializing in internal medicine. at West Hills Hospital. ``If we really run out of the normal vaccine, people who have no other option may want to do it.'' MedImmune Vaccines produced between 4 million and 5 million doses of the nasal spray. As of Nov. 18, the company had sold 400,000 to doctors and pharmacies. MedImmune Vaccines won't say whether the flu shot shortage had increased demand for FluMist. ``We do have a broad supply of FluMist available,'' said spokeswoman Jamie Lacey. ``We're concerned about the flu, and the best way to prevent it is to get vaccinated.'' The main drawback to the nasal spray has been price, local health care providers said. Where flu shots run about $20, consumers can expect to pay between $60 and $80 for FluMist, local health care providers said. FluMist's wholesale price is $46, but pharmacists and medical offices add a fee for administering the dose. To help offset the cost, MedImmune Vaccines is offering a $25 mail-in rebate, Lacey said. Because FluMist can't be used by those in high-risk groups, Kaiser Permanente Kaiser Permanente is an integrated managed care organization, based in Oakland, California, founded in 1945 by industrialist Henry J. Kaiser and physician Sidney R. Garfield. decided not to offer it. The vaccine also has stringent storage requirements, said Dr. Arleen Rockoff, chief of internal medicine and infectious disease Infectious disease A pathological condition spread among biological species. Infectious diseases, although varied in their effects, are always associated with viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoa, multicellular parasites and aberrant proteins known as prions. in Woodland Hills. ``It doesn't help the people who need it most,'' agreed Lisa Kort, a spokeswoman for Kaiser Permanente in the San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. . ``It helps the healthy, not the at-risk groups. It's not very practical.'' FluMist contains the same three flu strains as the injected vaccines, but uses weakened live virus instead of dead virus. The spray, which a doctor or pharmacist must shoot into both nostrils, can be given to people in good health between the ages of 5 and 49. Experts say the demand for flu vaccines has been higher than usual. In California, Kaiser Permanente already has administered 1.5 million doses of flu vaccine this year, up from 1 million in 2002. Increased demand has been attributed to reports of severe flu outbreaks in 10 states. In Colorado, six children under the age of 16 have died. While vaccines reduce the risk, they don't prevent people from catching the flu. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), agency of the U.S. Public Health Service since 1973, with headquarters in Atlanta; it was established in 1946 as the Communicable Disease Center. in Atlanta, the A/H A/H Ampere/Hour A/H Air Handling 3N2 strain in this year's flu vaccine is somewhat different from the one wreaking havoc around the country. Dr. Norman Lavin, a pediatrician at Encino-Tarzana Regional Medical Center, wanted to take a wait-and-see approach with the new spray and only ordered shots this year. ``It's the first and only intranasal in·tra·na·sal adj. Within the nose. in the U.S., so we don't have a lot of experience with it,'' he said. But now that his practice is running out of flu shots, the pediatrician says he'll have to order the spray. Mariko Thompson, (818) 713-3620 mariko.thompson(at)dailynews.com |
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