Flu shots (part 2)

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Pam
Posts: 866
Joined: Sat Apr 24, 2004 8:13 pm
Location: Springfield, Illinois, USA

Flu shots (part 2)

Post by Pam »

Today I tried to get an appointment for a flu shot at my tx clinic only to be informed that they didn't have any to give! :x I called at several other renal clinics and none of them have any vaccinations for patients either-dialysis OR transplant!
Now, I am stuck. I will either have to take my chances or try and get my vaccination some place here in town where they are giving them out for $18.00 each...that is IF I can find such a place! :roll: :? I know that there is a shortage, but don't you think doctors should somehow find a way to be able to get the vaccine their patients need? I know from some of you guys' posts that your docs were able to obtain them. I'd hate to have to stay away from people all season plus I have to take care of a child who is 2 yrs. old and we all know how THEY spread germs! :roll:
Any suggestions?
Thanks!
Pam
32 yr cadaver transplant recipient, now on peritoneal dialysis with the help of Audrey, my Homechoice machine... as of 4/3/09
Romans 8:28
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Bruce
Posts: 65
Joined: Thu Jul 29, 2004 1:21 am
Location: Long Island, New York

flu shots 2

Post by Bruce »

Good morning Pam,

Just going on what's in the news I would say that if someone's giving flu shots for $18.00 each I would jump at it. I know that locally the hospitals and clinics are down to hundreds of doses left, when they usually count their supplies in thousands. Diaysis (and tx) patients are supposed to be on the priority list, but I guess that's contingent on there being a supply of vaccine. The fee for the shot doesn't sound excessive.

Good luck. --Bruce
Angel
Posts: 790
Joined: Wed Aug 11, 2004 7:11 pm
Location: Sunny Somerset

Flu shots

Post by Angel »

Here in the UK things are not much better. We have had 3 half day clinics so far at our doctors surgery and two of those I had other medical appointments 20 miles away and the third they couldn't tell us till the say before.
I now have it booked for November the 4th as nothing seems to be available until then. We haven't been told its because there is a shortage but this is very unusual as flu clinics are normally twice a week for the whole season. :(
nycpetit
Posts: 262
Joined: Fri Apr 23, 2004 11:00 pm
Location: Miami Beach

Fl shots

Post by nycpetit »

I was told this week at my clinic that I won't get one because I am only two months out from my transplant. They said they don't give them to people so close to transplant because the vaccine could trigger something latent in the system or just set something off because we are so immunosuppressed at this point.

Has anyone else ever heard of this? I was a little bummed. Just wondered if there's weight to this, or others of you have gotten a flu shot regardless of how recent your transplant was?

They told me to just be even more hypervigilant about washing my hands, and to wear a mask.
debbie
Posts: 62
Joined: Tue Jun 08, 2004 11:40 am
Location: West Sussex. UK

flu jab

Post by debbie »

I was lucky, went to see practice nurse for something else and she mentioned that I could have my flu jab then as she had just got it in. The next day I had my transplant, if I not had it yet, I wouldn't be allowed it for 3 months. Guess it was good timing!!
JMan
Posts: 3470
Joined: Fri Apr 23, 2004 10:21 am
Location: Lives in a slightly weird bit of Shropshire called Telford!

Post by JMan »

I was advised not to have the flu jab in the first year post transplant (I think)

Think about it.. your immune system is heavily suppressed post transplant.
How does a vaccine work? By allowing your immune system to recognise flu and react to it.
If it can't react, because its (heavily) suppressed, there isn't any point in the vaccine:)

At least thats how its been explained to me and it seems to make sense.
That apart from the fact that there is a tiny chance it could 'interact' with other stuff. Interesting you mention about the mask though, not something I've seen in the UK.

Cheers
J
"Dialysis! What is this? The dark ages!"
L. 'Bones' McCoy, ST"
Read my blog:)
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nycpetit
Posts: 262
Joined: Fri Apr 23, 2004 11:00 pm
Location: Miami Beach

Flu Jab

Post by nycpetit »

Debbie, that's interesting. Now, I will be three months on November 12th, and I know last year I got both pnuemonia and flu in late November, so perhaps I should ask at the end of this month if I could get it next month when I hit three months. Worth the question anyway.

JMan, yea, I totally understand their reasoning. Only that if it is like Debbie, that it could be okay three months post transplant, then maybe I should get it in late November. We just had a super bad breakout here last year, and it was the first time I'd ever gotten it. So I just assumed I would get it this year too. However, if they choose not to, no problem.

I think he meant the mask because you know I live in manhattan, subways, busses, and I'm in school. There are over 9 million people that live here, another 4 million that commute in each day. So I am going to get one of those sort of ski mask type things for outside, but for class, well, I'll have to see. The problem with the flu is someone can have it, but it's not apparent until the next day.

I don't know if it was the flu shot, don't think so, but last year was probably the first year that I never got a cold, never got anything. I was the healthiest sick person I knew. LOL But then again, I was also living alone, and not working with kids anymore. So that could have been part of it as well. Now I have a kitty and my boyfriend is here, and he seems to get colds a lot. But I am still not working with the little kids. Found ways to avoid that.

We'll see. Thanks for the responses though guys, and Debbie, thanks for the three month thing. I hope you are recovering well!!

Natalie
JMan
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Joined: Fri Apr 23, 2004 10:21 am
Location: Lives in a slightly weird bit of Shropshire called Telford!

Post by JMan »

I guess a lot of this comes down to: different location/different policies.
I live in London, population around 8 mill? Tube (subway) buses etc etc, tho I don't work in an environment with potential higher risk (eg lots of kids)

But yes, def worth the Q..

Hopefully I will be in NY some time after the 25th:)

J
"Dialysis! What is this? The dark ages!"
L. 'Bones' McCoy, ST"
Read my blog:)
Live to Fly
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Cheryl in CT
Posts: 412
Joined: Wed Apr 21, 2004 10:17 pm
Location: Connecticut, USA

info about the reson for the flu vaccine shortage

Post by Cheryl in CT »

Many of you may know about what happened to cause this year's flu vaccine shortage, but in case you don't, here's a brief summary for you, compiled from various US sources, including CNN, MSNBC, CBS News and NBC News:

In the US, only about 54 million doses will be available for this flu season instead of the record 100 million doses the government had hoped to have on hand. Only two companies — Chiron Corp. and Aventis Pasteur — were making flu shots for the United States this year.

Chiron Corp., based in Emeryville in northern California, said in a statement that it had expected to provide nearly half the U.S. supply of flu shots for the 2004-2005 season. Chiron said Tuesday (5 OCT) it won't be able to make millions of doses of the vaccine due to problems at its British plant. Aventis reports that it’s already operating at full capacity and can’t make more until after November, once existing orders have been filled.

Another company cannot step in at this date to fill the void, because vaccine production takes several months at best, starting with growing the vaccine strain of the virus in chicken eggs and ending with vials of vaccine that must pass an array of federal safety tests before it can be released for use. It would not be possible for anyone to make more vaccine in time for the upcoming flu season. Companies will need to start preparing in March 2005 to be able to deliver flu vaccine in September 2005 for the next flu season.

The British Department of Health confirmed that it has suspended Chiron's manufacturing license at its Liverpool location for three months. A spokesman said problems with the sterility of the manufacturing process meant the vaccines produced could not be released for shipment

Only the product from the Liverpool, UK plant was approved for US use, and that is the one that was cited by British health authorities.

Company officials said the problem was with a relatively small amount of the vaccine that had already been prepared for the coming season.
Chiron had alerted all regulators 25 AUG that it had detected eight lots of flu vaccine contaminated with a bacteria that can grow in vaccine and, in vulnerable humans, can cause urinary tract infections. At that time, US officials expected that would mean as little as a 10 percent drop in this year’s flu vaccine supply, or 4 million to 8 million doses. The only major impact anticipated was that Chiron’s flu vaccine supplies could arrive in the US as much as one month later than originally expected.

Chiron had traced the bacterial contamination in those eight lots back to two bulk lots of viral antigens. The final vaccine contains three different inactivated viral antigens to protect people against the season’s dominant flu strains.

Representatives of the UK Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA - the UK's counterpart to the US FDA) met with Chiron last Friday (1 OCT). Meetings Monday (4 OCT) in England continued well into the night, Crawford testified, leading to Tuesday morning’s (5 OCT) announcement. US health officials were stunned by the British action, since the FDA’s monitoring had suggested most of Chiron’s vaccine would be fine.

Chiron has started talks with British regulators to determine the appropriate steps to correct the problems at the plant. But it said it is looking to supply vaccines for the 2005-2006 season, rather than making any supply projections for the upcoming season.

Chiron also supplies about 15 percent of Britain's flu vaccines, but British officials said they should be able to complete their vaccination plans.


NOTE: The Chiron vaccine is not approved for children under the age of 4, so pediatric vaccine doses may not be as severely affected as those for adolescents and adults.
debbie
Posts: 62
Joined: Tue Jun 08, 2004 11:40 am
Location: West Sussex. UK

flu jab

Post by debbie »

I was concerned when I went for the bloods pre transplant that having had the flu jab may affect something/anything but they said it wouldn't matter. My pneumonia jab is due but not til Jan 05 so they have said I can have that then, hopefully kidney will be nearly 4 months old then, drs have already started reducing my cyclosporin.
Cheryl in CT
Posts: 412
Joined: Wed Apr 21, 2004 10:17 pm
Location: Connecticut, USA

I THINK I'll be getting a flu shot....

Post by Cheryl in CT »

At my workplace (a boarding school), flu shots were always provided free of charge to any students/faculty/employees who might want them. Since no announcement had come yet about projected "flu shot clinic" dates, I figured I'd better look around on my own, just in case.

Like many others in the US, I was more than a bit surprised to find that not one of my doctors had put me on his/her list for a shot this year. My primary care doctor's office said: "Oh, we are only giving them to patients who are not under the care of specialists outside our office. Call your specialist." My neph's office said, "Oh, we are only giving them to people who don't have a primary care physician. Call your 'regular' doctor." My transplant hospital told me that they have such a limited supply that they must save it for previously unvaccinated patients who are anticipating transplant during the next 2-3 months. Knowing how short the supply really is, I thought that it all made an odd kind of sense, but still....

In any case, my school finally announced last week that it had a very, very limited supply of vaccine arriving soon (85% lower than last year's supply), and asked that anyone who felt he/she should be considered for one of the few shots available put that request in writing and send it, along with supporting documents, to the school infirmary. All applications were to be reviewed by a medical board. Wow - all this for a flu shot?

I did what they asked, tho, and I got my approval yesterday, with a scheduled date of Nov 1st for the shot. Why is it that I felt that I'd won the lottery or something? One woman who works at the school actually came up to me and said, rather snidely, "I'll bet they approved YOU, didn't they?" I actually felt bad admitting that yes, they had. I just wish I could have told her that I'd be glad to give up my flu shot just to have her sole "reason for application", a reason that wasn't enough for them to approve her request: "I work with kids all day." Well, I do that, too...

I won't get into all the reasons I think that the current shortage is beyond an unmitigated disaster, because that might get me into healthcare and politics, areas in which I simply do not care to debate at this point. What I can do, however, is hope for a very mild flu season for all, no matter how optimistic that might be.

Wishing everyone all the best,

Cheryl
Pam
Posts: 866
Joined: Sat Apr 24, 2004 8:13 pm
Location: Springfield, Illinois, USA

Post by Pam »

Hi all,
Wow, the differences in hospital and clinic protocols! I have been getting the flu shot for several years and this might be the first year I am not able to. As I understand it, the shot has dead components so it shouldn't cause any reactions BUT stay away from the Flu-Mist!!! It contains LIVE virus and can really hurt those of us with compromised immunity!
Unfortunately, I do work with little children who come to my house (I am a sitter) and one of the kids is 2 yrs. old-also one of the "at risk" catagories :roll: and the other one is in kindergarten...you know they spread germs like wildfire.
I most likely will get a shot even if I have to pay for it...I am not very well-set financially, but this seems like something I really need! I just hope that I CAN get one! :roll:
Pam
32 yr cadaver transplant recipient, now on peritoneal dialysis with the help of Audrey, my Homechoice machine... as of 4/3/09
Romans 8:28
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amanda in CA
Posts: 1806
Joined: Fri Apr 23, 2004 5:14 pm
Location: Georgia, USA

Flu shot

Post by amanda in CA »

I can fully empathise with Cheryl in CT regarding her surprise that no-one had put her on their list for a flu vaccine. When I moved over to the US 4 years ago, a transplant patient in her second trimester of pregnancy, I remember vividly how difficult it was for me to get the flu shot. At the time I was being seen so often by my ObGyn and nephrologist that I had not registered with a primary care physician. Mainly this was because when I did try and pre-register, I was told that to phone up when I needed to see the doctor but assumed that my name was registered. Since I didn't need to be seen at the time, I did n't do anything further, but when it came to get the flu shot I discovered that I wasn't registered as I had thought and that they would only give it to existing patients. I asked my OBGyn who asked me to speak to the neph. who asked me to speak to my OB Gyn, who then suggested that I go to a local pharmacy. Since I was pregnant, the visiting nurses doing those clinics wouldn't give me the flu shot. In the end, I think my neph. clinic managed to give me one of theirs. Anyway, I have had no problems since, having made sure that I went to see a primary care physician. This year I changed to a different practice and fortunately it was close to flu season so I enquired, they suggested I phone in a couple of weeks, which I did and luckily I managed to get the vaccine.

Since in the UK it only tends to be those in the high-risk categories that get the flu shot, I was quite surprised that there is generally no prioritisation in the US. Maybe if there was as a routine, more of the vulnerable population would have got the vaccine before a shortage was announced, as I am sure before this happened a good number of healthy people had already had the vaccine. That's my view anyway, but it's certainly worrying. Amanda
Pam
Posts: 866
Joined: Sat Apr 24, 2004 8:13 pm
Location: Springfield, Illinois, USA

Post by Pam »

I just heard recently that some doctors here in the US will now be fined and might even spend time in jail if they give a flu shot to someone who is not high risk! Although I think that the jail time is a bit extreme, perhaps the fines are what is needed...
John Kerry has blamed President Bush for the shortage! :roll: Why am I not surprised?!?!?!? :lol: It's just my opinion, but if he thinks that, he needs a reality check big time.
Hoping to get my shot on or before November 21-that is when the next flu shot clinic will be...do you guys need a letter from your doctor to prove you are in the high-risk catagory? Our clinic sent out letters informing us that our tx doctor will write them for us if we need them. I think it is a good idea...I'd hate to get there to have a shot and be turned away because I don't have proof that I need one! :roll:
I hope that everyone who needs one can get one.
-Pam
32 yr cadaver transplant recipient, now on peritoneal dialysis with the help of Audrey, my Homechoice machine... as of 4/3/09
Romans 8:28
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Michele in TN
Posts: 53
Joined: Sun Sep 12, 2004 8:21 am
Location: Nashville, TN, USA

Post by Michele in TN »

I'm so upset over this whole flu vaccine thing. I have letters from my transplant clinic stating the need that my 8 year old daughter and husband have one. We can't find it anywhere and to make it worse everyone in their brother we know outside of the high risk group is getting them. I am so :twisted:
Michele, 30
Mom to Emily, 11
Wife to Chris
Transplanted 07/29/04
Creatinine 0.9 2/07
stopping prednisone due to severe renal osteodystrophy 11/06
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