It is that time again! The flu shots have finally arrived. As some may recall, a good portion of pediatric flu vaccine is now supplied through the state. So we are a bit at their mercy from a delivery and supply point of view. Also, interestingly, the manufacturers are saying one of the strains was a bit slow to grow this year, so there are apparently some production delays going on. However, they are not anticipating any shortages and we now have enough to get started, with another shipment expected in October.
If you want a flu shot, please call for an appointment.
As usual, most of the flu shots will be done through dedicated flu shot clinics. We will try to offer these at a variety of times, including daytime, evening, and weekend hours, over the next 2 months or so. More clinics will be added on an ongoing basis as demand and supply allow. Flu shots can also be done during routine PEs, so there is no need to schedule an additional appointment if you have a PE (well-visit or “check-up”) scheduled for the fall. Unfortunately, for staffing and supply reasons, we cannot routinely do flu shots for walk-ins or during urgent visit (ill) appointments. Please call ahead.
All of our supply this year is “quadrivalent”, which means it covers 4 different strains of flu virus. The includes the H1N1 (swine flu) and two different B strains. Previous vaccines have been “trivalent”, including only 3 strains. We have both injectable and intranasal vaccine available, although patients with asthma should stick to the injectable kind. And, as usual, all of our supply is preservative free. (Not always true at the local pharmacy.)
So, basically, if you want a flu shot, give us a call.