September 30, 2014
We wanted to give you an update on what is going on with the flu vaccine:
The flu vaccine for the 2014 season was updated to include protection against a 4th strain [the quadrivalent version], this was done in order to improve the efficacy of the flu vaccine itself. And all of us at PWG agreed we wanted to give the most effective vaccine possible. This new updated version comes in both an injection and intranasal form. We ordered significant amounts of both.
When we placed our order for the flu vaccine, the vaccine manufacturers/representatives were confident they could deliver the vaccine as promised. Unfortunately, they have not been able to do that. We are being told that the strains in this years updated flu vaccine are slow to grow, and this has led to shipment delays. We are not being given any firm time frames, the most recent estimate is late October.
Some organizations ordered the older version of the flu vaccine [with 3 strains, or the trivalent version] and they may have already received their shipments. At this time we are being told by the vaccine representatives that there is no way to order any of the older flu vaccine. We are not alone in this frustrating situation, we have been in contact with other pediatricians around the country and many other offices are experiencing similar delays.
We will provide updates as soon as we receive them, we plan on giving the flu vaccines as quickly as we can once we receive our full supply, and as always we appreciate your patience as we work through this issue.