Canada's Flu Vaccine Supply to Arrive on Time

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Canada's Flu Vaccine Supply to Arrive on Time

By Ed Ungar

WebMD Canada Medical News

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U.S. Delays Won't Affect Canadians

Reviewed by Tulk, MD

Oct. 6, 2000 -- Problems in producing this year's flu vaccine in the U. S.

will not affect Canada, according to the two companies that make the vaccine

for this country.

Spokesmen for BioChem Pharma of Laval, Que., and Aventis Pasteur of Toronto

both tell WebMD they can fulfil their commitments in getting approximately

six million doses of the vaccine to the elderly and other high-risk people.

Aventis Pasteur says it is also on schedule to supply additional doses to

Ontario for its expanded coverage program, which is to be implemented this

year.

Each year the World Health Organization, in conjunction with other public

health authorities, selects the three most likely strains of influenza virus

for which vaccine makers should prepare. These viruses are cultivated in

specially produced hens' eggs. The process usually takes 10 to 12 weeks.

However U.S. manufacturers have been having problems growing one of this

year's strains, known as the Panama A virus. In addition, the U.S. Food and

Drug Administration has found some problems in the manufacturing process

with some vaccine suppliers.

This year, U.S. " consumers have to be alert, resourceful in making sure they

get immunized, " says Schaffer, MD, who serves as a liaison to the

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Committee on Immunization

Practices. Translation: U.S. consumers will have to do some looking before

they find someone who has the vaccine to give.

This will not be the case in Canada, according to Randal Case, PhD, senior

vice-president of vaccine operations for BioChem Pharma. " Our people solved

the problem, " Case tells WebMD. " The result was not only were we not late,

in fact we actually set a record for ourselves in the earliest release of a

batch for our company. "

Eadie, group product manager for influenza vaccines for Aventis

Pasteur, tells WebMD that the U.S. situation also did not affect his

company's supply. Aventis imports the majority of its vaccine from its

parent's facilities in France. His company supplies vaccine to Ontario,

Nunavut, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick. BioChem Pharma is

responsible for the rest of Canada's flu vaccine supply.

Authorities especially recommend the vaccine for people at high risk of

getting the flu and of developing complications such as pneumonia.

" Flu is serious, " says Chase. " Roughly 2,000 people a year die of its

complications in Canada. "

This occurs despite vaccination programs. Not everyone over age 65 or with

high-risk chronic conditions receives the vaccine. Chase estimates these

people represent at least 22% of Canada's population. Yet last year only 5.3

million people, or 17% of Canada's population, were vaccinated.

One reason for this, according to Schabas, MD, is that unlike other

vaccines the flu vaccine is updated annually and the new version has to be

administered every year. Schabas was Ontario's chief medical officer from

1987 to 1997 and is currently head of preventive oncology at Cancer Care

Ontario in Toronto.

" Lots of people don't see their doctor every year or don't see their doctor

every October or November when they normally would be inoculated against the

flu, " says Schabas.

Schabas also points out that the vaccine is not 100% effective. " Its

efficiency is estimated as somewhere between 70% and 90%, not the 98% that

some of the other vaccines achieve, " says Schabas.

This year Ontario is instituting an expanded vaccine program where a free

supply of the vaccine will not be limited to those over age 65 and the

chronically ill, but will go to all who could benefit from it.

According to Eadie, Aventis is prepared to supply 7.9 million doses for

Ontario's population of 12 million. The vaccine will be made available in

two stages. The elderly and high-risk patients will receive their shots in

October and early November. The general population will receive theirs in

November and December. Eadie tells WebMD that the general population may

receive their vaccinations at the workplace or at special clinics in

drugstores and shopping centres.

Copyright 2000 WebMD Canada Inc. All rights reserved.

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www.geocities.com/mom2q (my work in progress!)

Mom of two great kids who are vaccine free!