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Nationwide, only 8 million doses of vaccine against the pandemic H1N1 influenza virus have become available since last Wednesday, calling into question whether the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will be able to meet even its downsized goal of having 28 million to 30 million doses on hand by the end of this week. As of today, a total of 22.4 million doses of swine flu vaccine are now available, said Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, director of the CDC, at a news conference this morning. The agency had hoped to be getting 20 million doses per week by now and expected a minimum of at least 50 million doses to be on hand by the end of the month, "We are all frustrated that we don't have more vaccine available now," he said.

The delays are due primarily to the fact that virus for the vaccine is grown in chicken eggs, and the virus selected does not grow as rapidly in the eggs as do those used in the seasonal flu vaccine. Also, manufacturers have had to balance production of swine flu vaccine and seasonal vaccine, and that has contributed to the delays. Frieden said he hopes much larger quantities will be available in the relatively near future.

The New Mexico Health Department has ordered 4,865 doses of the H1N1 vaccine for Santa Fe County as of October 14. About 78,600 doses of nasal and injectable H1N1 vaccine has been ordered statewide. Vaccine is arriving in small amounts and is being distributed to providers and public health offices.

The Department of Health is encouraging the following people who are at a higher risk for developing serious complications from H1N1 to get vaccinated as soon as possible: pregnant women, household members/caretakers of infants less than 6 months old, children 6 to 59 months of age, children 5 to18 years with certain chronic health conditions that increase their risk of complications from flu, and healthcare workers and emergency medical service personnel with direct patient care.

The Department of Health is encouraging people to call their primary healthcare providers to ask if they are providing the novel H1N1 vaccine. People without insurance or a healthcare provider, or whose providers will not offer the novel H1N1 vaccine, can get the vaccine from a local public health office (476.2600).

For information about scheduled flu shot clinics, call 866-681-5872or go online to www.nmivc.org/cliniclist.php. Please call 476.2600first to check the availability of novel H1N1 vaccine. Contact information for public health offices is also listed at www.nmhealth.org.