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American Morning

Flu Shot Frenzy

Aired December 08, 2003 - 06:53   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: I'm sure you know this by now. One of the harshest flu seasons in years is sweeping the country. And if you didn't get your flu shot yet, you may be too late.
Dr. Sandra Fryhofer is here with more on the flu shot frenzy.

And I'm glad you're joining us with this this morning, because I was in your office Friday and it was busy.

DR. SANDRA FRYHOFER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It was busy. And you said your arm is a little sore, but you didn't get sick this weekend, and so it's good to go ahead and get that flu shot, if you can find one. But, Carol, this, on Friday after you left, the phone started ringing off the hook with people, mostly parents, who had children whose pediatricians had run out of the flu shot, calling to see if we had any doses left.

We called the manufacturer and ordered 20 doses that will be delivered on Tuesday or Wednesday. And then Friday afternoon we tried to order 10 more doses and they were totally out of the vaccine.

COSTELLO: So does that mean every doctor is out of this flu vaccine and we can't get it anymore?

FRYHOFER: No, it doesn't mean that. There's not really a shortage. The manufacturers have actually shipped out all of their vaccine to the doctors and to clinics. So there's flu shot out there. You just may have to call around to find it. In fact...

COSTELLO: Yes, I was going to ask you about specifics about what to do if you call your doctor and he or she says sorry, we're out.

FRYHOFER: Get on the phone, talk to your friends, because there are lots of doctors out there who may have it, but you just have to call around. This year, the companies actually made 83 million doses and in the past the most Americans have ever taken advantage of were 75 million to 80 million doses. So there's plenty of vaccine out there, just call around.

COSTELLO: Yes, you just may have to travel a little father to get your flu shot.

FRYHOFER: It's like trying to find that Christmas present that everyone's out of.

COSTELLO: Yes.

FRYHOFER: If you keep, if you work hard, you can do it.

COSTELLO: Quickly, why are children being so -- hit so hard this year by the flu?

FRYHOFER: Well, Carol, it's mainly because they don't have any immunity to the flu. You know, these kids are young and they, and this, there's a new strain out this year, the Fujian strain, that's new to most people. That's why we're having such a hard season this year.

But the kids can get basically the same flu shot as adults. There is a new flu shot this year that doesn't have Thymerasol in it. It was made in limited supplies. So children aged six months to three years old is, if you can get some of that, that's best.

But the regular flu shot, the adult type flu shot, is approved for anyone over age six months. So try to get your kids vaccinated. It may take -- it takes two doses for children that are getting their first ever vaccination under age nine, one now and then one a month later, to really get that immune response going.

COSTELLO: All right, thanks for coming in, Dr. Sandy.

We appreciate it, as always.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired December 8, 2003 - 06:53   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: I'm sure you know this by now. One of the harshest flu seasons in years is sweeping the country. And if you didn't get your flu shot yet, you may be too late.
Dr. Sandra Fryhofer is here with more on the flu shot frenzy.

And I'm glad you're joining us with this this morning, because I was in your office Friday and it was busy.

DR. SANDRA FRYHOFER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It was busy. And you said your arm is a little sore, but you didn't get sick this weekend, and so it's good to go ahead and get that flu shot, if you can find one. But, Carol, this, on Friday after you left, the phone started ringing off the hook with people, mostly parents, who had children whose pediatricians had run out of the flu shot, calling to see if we had any doses left.

We called the manufacturer and ordered 20 doses that will be delivered on Tuesday or Wednesday. And then Friday afternoon we tried to order 10 more doses and they were totally out of the vaccine.

COSTELLO: So does that mean every doctor is out of this flu vaccine and we can't get it anymore?

FRYHOFER: No, it doesn't mean that. There's not really a shortage. The manufacturers have actually shipped out all of their vaccine to the doctors and to clinics. So there's flu shot out there. You just may have to call around to find it. In fact...

COSTELLO: Yes, I was going to ask you about specifics about what to do if you call your doctor and he or she says sorry, we're out.

FRYHOFER: Get on the phone, talk to your friends, because there are lots of doctors out there who may have it, but you just have to call around. This year, the companies actually made 83 million doses and in the past the most Americans have ever taken advantage of were 75 million to 80 million doses. So there's plenty of vaccine out there, just call around.

COSTELLO: Yes, you just may have to travel a little father to get your flu shot.

FRYHOFER: It's like trying to find that Christmas present that everyone's out of.

COSTELLO: Yes.

FRYHOFER: If you keep, if you work hard, you can do it.

COSTELLO: Quickly, why are children being so -- hit so hard this year by the flu?

FRYHOFER: Well, Carol, it's mainly because they don't have any immunity to the flu. You know, these kids are young and they, and this, there's a new strain out this year, the Fujian strain, that's new to most people. That's why we're having such a hard season this year.

But the kids can get basically the same flu shot as adults. There is a new flu shot this year that doesn't have Thymerasol in it. It was made in limited supplies. So children aged six months to three years old is, if you can get some of that, that's best.

But the regular flu shot, the adult type flu shot, is approved for anyone over age six months. So try to get your kids vaccinated. It may take -- it takes two doses for children that are getting their first ever vaccination under age nine, one now and then one a month later, to really get that immune response going.

COSTELLO: All right, thanks for coming in, Dr. Sandy.

We appreciate it, as always.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com