CDC Reports Flu Vaccine Supply Soaring

If you fail to get a flu shot this year, you won't be able to use, "They ran out," as an excuse. In fact, flu vaccine is more available than ever, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). As of November 2, a record 103 million doses of vaccine had already been distributed by U.S. manufacturers, with estimates of total vaccine production for the 2007-2008 flu season running as high as 132 million total doses.

"Thanks to the increased production of flu vaccine, more people than ever can get protection from a potentially very serious disease," said Dr. Jeanne Santoli, deputy director of CDC′s Immunization Services Division in a press release. "We are hopeful that this year a record number of people will get vaccinated."

Flu season in the U.S. starts as early as October and continues through May, during which time, an average of from five to 20 percent of the U.S. population suffers from the flu. CDC records show an estimated 36,000 deaths and more than 200,000 hospitalizations result from flu-related illnesses every year.

While anyone can get the flu, infants and young children, pregnant women, children and adults with chronic medical conditions, and people 65 years old and older are more at risk. CDC recommends that persons in these groups get annual flu shots.

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