Skip navigation

Swine Flu Vaccine Frustrations

WTMJ-TV and JSOnline.com
updated 11:46 p.m. ET Oct. 29, 2009

As more people die from the swine flu virus - there's growing frustration about the vaccine shortage.

WAUKESHA - As more people die from the swine flu virus - there's growing frustration about the vaccine shortage.

So who's to blame?

Story continues below ↓
advertisement | your ad here

It depends on who you ask.

Signs that read, "closed, out of vaccines" are becoming a familiar sight as clinics run out of swine flu vaccines.

"I'm just frustrated because I drove here for nothing," said Scott Lehman. He wanted his 4-year-old to get the shot but the clinic at the Waukesha Expo was closed.

Public health officials on the front lines are also frustrated.

"We are quite disappointed with the supply up to this point," said Jane Peterson with the North Shore Health Department.

Frustration over long lines and short supplies is running high. Here's why:

Wisconsin wanted 700,000 doses by now from the CDC but we were promised 407,000 and so far, we've only gotten 300,000.

Milwaukee initially asked for 160,000 doses but received 6,800.

Waukesha County asked for 120,000 but got 3,200.

Who's to blame?

State and Federal Health officials blame the lack of supply on the manufactures. The vaccine is grown in eggs and the process is taking longer than anyone expected.

Shipments from the CDC are arriving sporadically in Wisconsin. For example, 100,000 doses arrived on Monday but that dropped to 29,000 on Tuesday.

The magic number for Wisconsin is 1.8%. That's because Wisconsin makes up 1.8% of the population of the United States, so Wisconsin will get 1.8% of the nation's vaccine supply.

The magic number for Scott's little boy is one, but he's going to have to wait.

"I'm a little disappointed and I'm kind of upset," said Lehman.

State health officials tell us they are on the phone daily with the CDC asking for more supply. The state has to share that supply with 2,000 public and private health care providers.


  MORE FROM JSONLINE.COM AND WTMJ-TV  
  
JSOnline.com and WTMJ-TV Section Front
 
Add JSOnline.com and WTMJ-TV headlines to your news reader:
 

Sponsored links

Resource guide