Duke University Medical Center administrators have placed restrictions on influenza vaccine distribution after receiving only 10 percent of the expected supply. Due to the lack of available vaccines, officials have also canceled the free vaccination program for employees and students—a move that could create an unprecedented number of flu infections on campus this year.
Administrators are following a recommendation issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention after the United States’ vaccination supplies were cut in half. The recommendation focuses distribution efforts on traditionally high-risk groups that are particularly vulnerable to major complications with flu infections. For the first time in its history, the CDC is recommending that only people in these specified groups become vaccinated.
The shortage of vaccinations is due to a recent ban placed by the CDC on flu vaccinations produced by California-based pharmaceutical company Chiron at one of its factories in Great Britain. British regulators suspended the plant’s manufacturing license of flu vaccines Oct. 5 due to quality control issues.
The plant provided almost 50 percent of U.S. and close to 90 percent of Duke supplies.
“It’s unfortunate. If we ordered from the other company we wouldn’t be having this problem at all,” said Dr. Dennis Clements, professor of pediatrics and infectious disease.
In response to the crisis, DUMC officials formed a committee comprised of infectious disease doctors and other physicians, nurses and administrators to decide what to do with the limited vaccines.
“We decided that we would look at high-risk areas or employees who are working in high-risk areas,” said Hattie Davis, manager for employee occupational health and wellness.
According to the CDC, high-risk groups include children six to 23 months old, adults 65 years old and older, persons two to 64 years old with chronic medical conditions, all women who will be pregnant during the influenza season, residents of nursing homes and long-term care facilities, children six months to 18 years old on chronic aspirin therapy, health-care workers involved in direct patient care and out-of-home caregivers and anyone in household contact of children less than six months old.
But Frank Sloan, director of the Center for Health Policy, Law and Management, said he thinks DUMC’s distribution to people in these categories could prove more difficult than officials make it out to be.
“It becomes very hard to distribute vaccines on a basis or priority system. It will be hard for someone sitting at a table, administrating vaccines, to figure out who is at the greatest need,” Sloan said.
Because Duke’s shortage is even more severe than the national shortages, doctors are even more concerned about who to vaccinate. “We have to ration the 10 percent for those most in need. We are going to take care of the health care workers and area patients first,” Clements said.
Because most students and employees are not eligible to receive the vaccine according to CDC standards, administrators worry that such a large un-vaccinated population living in close quarters could produce an influenza epidemic across campus.
“I think it is very unfortunate. It is a real public health issue,” said Jean Hanson, administrative director for Student Health. “We are concerned about the number of students that potentially could be sick. We are going to focus on prevention and education.”
She added that there is an emergency plan in place—primarily involving communication procedures—if an epidemic occurs on campus.
Students are also uneasy about the possible effects the flu season could have if so few of them are to receive vaccinations. Sophomore Jen Leary, who received a vaccine last year, said she understands that Duke is complying with national recommendations, but she still worries about the ramifications of the vaccine shortage.
“It’s risky because college students are aware epidemics can happen because we live in such close quarters,” she said. “If one person gets it, the whole campus is probably going down.”
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