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CNN Saturday Morning News

Flu Shots Are Scarce in Many States

Aired December 13, 2003 - 09:11   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.


RENAY SAN MIGUEL, CNN ANCHOR: Long lines at health clinics as Americans clamor for their flu shots, which are scarce in many states. One hundred thousand more doses of adult flu vaccine are being distributed this weekend. But now the makers of test kits to diagnose the flu say their facilities are strained.
CNN's Elaine Quijano is at clinic set up at a supermarket in Washington. Elaine?

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello to you, Renay.

Well, we're at a Giant supermarket in the District of Columbia, and they are expecting some long lines. We talked to the manager here, and he says a lot of people have been asking about the flu shots, and they only have 50, both adult and children's vaccines, to give away here.

This doesn't get under way for about another hour or so. They're setting up behind me. But already one woman has been waiting for over an hour now, and it's Cynthia Outlaw who is joining me.

Cynthia, thanks for being here. What made you decide to come out so early on a Saturday morning?

CYNTHIA OUTLAW: Well, I have to take care of my granddaughter, who I adopted. I'm the single parent. So I have to be able to take care of her. And I'm also a high-risk cancer survivor.

QUIJANO: So you have -- have you sought flu shots elsewhere and not been able to get ahold of them? Or how did you -- what made you decide to come out here today?

OUTLAW: Because of the urgency of getting the flu shots for people over 50 and people with at a high risk. I have my granddaughter vaccinated, get her shot yesterday at a D.C. clinic. So I thought, since she's on an overnight play date, that I would take advantage of my time and come and get a flu shot.

QUIJANO: Yes, now, this has obviously been playing out a lot in the media. That affect your decision to come out here?

OUTLAW: Absolutely.

QUIJANO: Yes. How so? OUTLAW: Because I have to be able to take care of her. I'm the only one that's available to take care of her. So I need to be healthy, and being a cancer survivor, you know, I don't want to get sick.

QUIJANO: Yes. Well, Cynthia, you're one of only 49 other people today that's going to be able to get the flu shot here. Thanks for being with us.

And here at this Giant, again, the manager has been saying they really have been getting a lot of questions about how many of these flu shots they'll be able to get. I talked to the organizer today of the event here today, and she said as late as last night, she was trying to get some information from the D.C. Public Health Department about getting more flu shots. She was told 50 shots, that's all that they had available to them, as you mentioned.

The Department of Health and Human Services has been shipping out, or in is in the process of shipping out, tens of thousands of extra flu vaccines. Those are due to arrive over the next few days. And here at this Giant supermarket, Renay, they are expecting some long lines as they prepare for this health clinic in about an hour or so, Renay.

SAN MIGUEL: Elaine, one quick question. When you're talking to the managers there or the people in line or the organizers of the event, I'm wondering if any of them have said, you know, just the impact of the coverage of the outbreak, whether that is driving more people into the clinic there.

QUIJANO: Yes, well, I can tell you, talking to Cynthia this morning, she said she's certainly watching and paying attention. She knew exactly where to go. She said to avoid some lines, there's also, according to her, some shots being given at D.C. General today from noon to 4:00. And she said, you know, a lot of people are probably going to be getting up around midmorning on a Saturday morning, and not so many people in the early morning hours. So she wanted to make sure she was here.

She was right, she was the very first person in line a little bit before 8:00 this morning. And she really has been following closely. I can tell you right now, as I look over, there's only about three other people in line right now. But they are ready to go. And, you know, with only 50 flu shots, they're going to be some of the lucky ones, and there probably will be some folks who are going to be disappointed if they show up too late, Renay.

SAN MIGUEL: All right. They took the initiative, and they're there first. Thanks so much, Elaine Quijano, live.

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 13, 2003 - 09:11   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RENAY SAN MIGUEL, CNN ANCHOR: Long lines at health clinics as Americans clamor for their flu shots, which are scarce in many states. One hundred thousand more doses of adult flu vaccine are being distributed this weekend. But now the makers of test kits to diagnose the flu say their facilities are strained.
CNN's Elaine Quijano is at clinic set up at a supermarket in Washington. Elaine?

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello to you, Renay.

Well, we're at a Giant supermarket in the District of Columbia, and they are expecting some long lines. We talked to the manager here, and he says a lot of people have been asking about the flu shots, and they only have 50, both adult and children's vaccines, to give away here.

This doesn't get under way for about another hour or so. They're setting up behind me. But already one woman has been waiting for over an hour now, and it's Cynthia Outlaw who is joining me.

Cynthia, thanks for being here. What made you decide to come out so early on a Saturday morning?

CYNTHIA OUTLAW: Well, I have to take care of my granddaughter, who I adopted. I'm the single parent. So I have to be able to take care of her. And I'm also a high-risk cancer survivor.

QUIJANO: So you have -- have you sought flu shots elsewhere and not been able to get ahold of them? Or how did you -- what made you decide to come out here today?

OUTLAW: Because of the urgency of getting the flu shots for people over 50 and people with at a high risk. I have my granddaughter vaccinated, get her shot yesterday at a D.C. clinic. So I thought, since she's on an overnight play date, that I would take advantage of my time and come and get a flu shot.

QUIJANO: Yes, now, this has obviously been playing out a lot in the media. That affect your decision to come out here?

OUTLAW: Absolutely.

QUIJANO: Yes. How so? OUTLAW: Because I have to be able to take care of her. I'm the only one that's available to take care of her. So I need to be healthy, and being a cancer survivor, you know, I don't want to get sick.

QUIJANO: Yes. Well, Cynthia, you're one of only 49 other people today that's going to be able to get the flu shot here. Thanks for being with us.

And here at this Giant, again, the manager has been saying they really have been getting a lot of questions about how many of these flu shots they'll be able to get. I talked to the organizer today of the event here today, and she said as late as last night, she was trying to get some information from the D.C. Public Health Department about getting more flu shots. She was told 50 shots, that's all that they had available to them, as you mentioned.

The Department of Health and Human Services has been shipping out, or in is in the process of shipping out, tens of thousands of extra flu vaccines. Those are due to arrive over the next few days. And here at this Giant supermarket, Renay, they are expecting some long lines as they prepare for this health clinic in about an hour or so, Renay.

SAN MIGUEL: Elaine, one quick question. When you're talking to the managers there or the people in line or the organizers of the event, I'm wondering if any of them have said, you know, just the impact of the coverage of the outbreak, whether that is driving more people into the clinic there.

QUIJANO: Yes, well, I can tell you, talking to Cynthia this morning, she said she's certainly watching and paying attention. She knew exactly where to go. She said to avoid some lines, there's also, according to her, some shots being given at D.C. General today from noon to 4:00. And she said, you know, a lot of people are probably going to be getting up around midmorning on a Saturday morning, and not so many people in the early morning hours. So she wanted to make sure she was here.

She was right, she was the very first person in line a little bit before 8:00 this morning. And she really has been following closely. I can tell you right now, as I look over, there's only about three other people in line right now. But they are ready to go. And, you know, with only 50 flu shots, they're going to be some of the lucky ones, and there probably will be some folks who are going to be disappointed if they show up too late, Renay.

SAN MIGUEL: All right. They took the initiative, and they're there first. Thanks so much, Elaine Quijano, live.

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