Several points related to the recent influenza vaccine delays and the influenza vaccine process are worth emphasizing. First, the overall process has worked well for decades despite its many complexities and “fragilities.” Although the recent delays highlight the need to take certain actions to strengthen the system, such major disruptions have been exceptional and the [...]
The public and private sectors both play extensive and critical roles in the influenza vaccine process. Primary responsibilities of the public sector include monitoring changes among circulating influenza viruses, annually updating the vaccine strains, monitoring the vaccine’s effectiveness and coverage rates, and developing recommendations to guide vaccine use. Primary responsibilities of the private sector include [...]
Among the current manufacturers, Aventis Pasteur and Wyeth Lederle produce influenza vaccine in manufacturing plants located in the U.S. while Evans Vaccines produces influenza vaccine in the United Kingdom, but distributes a percentage of their production in the U.S. In most years, more doses of influenza vaccine are produced by manufacturers, and are released by [...]
The 2000 and 2001 Vaccine Delays The magnitude of the 2000 and 2001 vaccine distribution delays is best illustrated by comparing the volume of vaccine delivered by manufacturers by the end of October in those years with the amount of vaccine delivered by the same time point in 1999 (Figure 1). In 1999, four manufacturers [...]
INTRODUCTION During the past decade, substantial increases in the production and distribution of influenza vaccine have been critical for improving vaccination coverage among groups specifically targeted for vaccination, as well as among healthy persons in the U.S. The increases have been critical because annual vaccination is the cornerstone of efforts to reduce the health burden [...]
