HHS Sec’y Sebelius pledges there will be sufficient swine flu vaccine supplies for everyone

October 28th, 2009 more images more imagesAs flu shots arrive, government hopes delays fixedWASHINGTON — With more than 23 million doses of swine flu vaccine now available, health officials are visiting vaccine plants to check for any more pending interruptions to what appears to be a slowly but steadily growing supply. About 9 million doses trickled onto the market in the past week alone, and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said Wednesday that site visits and other checks suggest production problems "have in large part been fixed." "We are checking and double-checking," she said, acknowledging how the limited supply makes it difficult for people to get vaccinated.

October 27th, 2009 WASHINGTON - As the deadly H1N1 swine flu spread widely in 46 of 50 American states with some 1,000 confirmed deaths since April, the Obama administration geared up to meet the threat on a war footing amidst a vaccine shortage. After President Barack Obama declared the H1N1 swine flu a national emergency Saturday, his top health official Monday assured Americans that the swine flu vaccine "is coming out the door as fast as it comes off the production line." Appearing Monday morning on three network news shows, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius acknowledged delays in getting the swine flu vaccine to Americans, but assured that eventually there will be enough supplies "for everyone." "We were relying on the manufacturers to give us their numbers, and as soon as we got numbers we put them out to the public," Sebelius said on a morning network news programme.

October 27th, 2009 more images more imagesCDC: Swine flu vaccine outlook improvingATLANTA — U.S. health officials say more than 22 million doses of swine flu vaccine are now available, and they predict most Americans should soon find it easier to get their dose.

October 14th, 2009 Kids under 10 may need 2 swine flu vaccine dosesTest results of its swine flu vaccine suggest that children under 10 may need two shots to be fully protected, vaccine maker Sanofi Pasteur said Wednesday. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the news is not surprising, since this age group needs two doses of regular seasonal flu vaccine for full immunity to develop.

October 14th, 2009 2 swine flu vaccine doses for kids under 10 likelyTest results of its swine flu vaccine suggest that children under 10 are likely to need two shots to be fully protected, vaccine maker Sanofi Pasteur said Wednesday. Federal officials said the news is not surprising, since this age group needs two doses of regular seasonal flu vaccine the very first time they ever are given a flu vaccine for full immunity to develop.

October 7th, 2009 Sebelius: Americans should get flu vaccinationWASHINGTON — Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius appealed anew Wednesday for widespread inoculation against a surging swine flu threat, calling the vaccine "safe and secure." Sebelius unconditionally vouched for the safety of the vaccine, saying it "has been made exactly the same way seasonal vaccine has been made, year in and year out." Appearing on morning news shows to step up the Obama administration's campaign for vaccinations, Sebelius said that "the adverse effects are minimal. ... We know it's safe and secure.

October 6th, 2009 Government teams with company to track swine fluKANSAS CITY, Mo. — The federal government is teaming up with a medical software maker to better track the spread of swine flu nationally.

September 25th, 2009 US says first swine flu vaccine ready Oct. 6ATLANTA — U.S.

September 24th, 2009 HHS: Swine flu vaccine starts arriving in 2 weeksWASHINGTON — More swine flu vaccine will arrive the first week of October than officials previously thought — between 6 million and 7 million doses. That's roughly double earlier predictions, and most will be the nasal spray version called FluMist, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said Thursday.

September 15th, 2009 FDA approves new swine flu vaccineWASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration approved the new swine flu vaccine Tuesday, a long-anticipated step as the government works to start mass vaccinations next month. Limited supplies should start trickling out the first week of October — about a week earlier than expected, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius told Congress.

September 13th, 2009 Sebelius: Swine flu shots may start early OctoberWASHINGTON — The nation's first round of swine flu shots could begin sooner than expected, with some vaccine available as early as the first week of October, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said Sunday. Sebelius said she is confident the vaccine will be available early enough to beat the peak of the expected flu season this fall and that early doses are intended for health care workers and other high-priority groups.

September 11th, 2009 Flu season comes early; most are swine varietyWASHINGTON — Influenza is circulating unusually early this year with cases in all 50 states — nearly all the swine flu variety, government health officials said Friday. The highest concentration of flu cases is in the Southeast and a few other states, Dr.

September 6th, 2009 CDC chief says swine vaccine for my kids, tooWASHINGTON — The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says his kids are going to get the swine flu vaccine when it's available. Dr. Thomas Frieden says health officials have "very high confidence" in the safety of the vaccine.

September 4th, 2009 Day care centers urged to be vigilant against fluWASHINGTON — Will you start seeing thermometers at day care centers? The government is urging the nation's 360,000 child care providers to be vigilant about sending home children who may have the flu — and the main symptom to check for is a fever. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued guidelines Friday for day care programs that echo the advice for schools: Kids need vaccine — against both regular flu and the new swine flu — and they should stay home when they're sick.

August 30th, 2009 Flu season: How many shots?WASHINGTON — Doctors don't know yet if it will take one dose or two of vaccine to protect against the new swine flu. Add that to vaccine for the regular winter flu, and it could be a multishot season for a lot of people — or a multisquirt season, for those who choose the FluMist nasal-spray version.