Da'Bitz

Even as swine flu infections are causing an unprecedented amount of illness for this time of year — and a growing number of deaths, particulary among children — supplies of vaccine to protect against it will be delayed, government health officials said Friday.

In the past week, 11 more children have died from H1N1 influenza infections, an official from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said, bringing the total to 86 children since April. The seasonal flu typically kills between 46 and 88 children in a full year, according to CDC data.

At the same time, drug manufacturers have told health officials to expect at least 25 percent less vaccine by the end of the month than anticipated. Instead of the 40 million doses projected by the end of October, only 28 million to 30 million doses may be available, said Dr. Anne Schuchat, director of immunization and respiratory diseases.

“We aren’t expecting widespread availability until the end of the month or until November,” Schuchat said. “It will be pretty challenging to find vaccine.”

She urged people anxious to get immunized to check back with their state and local health departments. “Keep looking,” Schuchat said.

Swine flu is now widespread in 41 states, CDC reported. And overall for the country, deaths from pneumonia and flu-like illnesses have passed what CDC considers an epidemic level. About 6 percent of all doctor visits are for flu-like illnesses, levels not normally seen until later in the fall.  Half of the all the child deaths have been in teenagers.

“These are very sobering statistics” Schuchat said.

Vaccine manufacturers have told CDC that the yield of H1N1 antigen, the substance that produces infection-fighting antibodies, has been lower than expected.

You can read the full article at MSNBC