For the past several years, University Health Services (UHS) has offered influenza vaccines for students, faculty and USM retirees. This year however, due to a nationwide vaccine shortage, UHS will not offer this service. In fact, UHS decided to return much of their supply to the state.
The vaccine shortage occurred after British authorities suspended the license of flu vaccine manufacturer Chiron Corporation due to problems at their Liverpool plant. On October 5, Chiron contacted the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to inform them that none of the 48 million doses ordered would be sent. This means that the United States must rely on the approximately 60 million doses provided by other manufactures for the approaching flu season.
As a result, the CDC has released new guidelines concerning who should receive influenza immunizations. UHS has followed those guidelines.
According to Larisa Semenuk, UHS clinical manager, UHS ordered 700 doses of vaccine this year, but only received 340. Of those, UHS distributed around 150 doses to high-risk members of the USM community.
“We’ve reached out to students with chronic illnesses,” said Semenuk, referring to conditions such as asthma, kidney disease and diabetes. Also immunized, she said, were UHS health care providers, high-risk staff members and USM retirees over sixty-five in poor health.
“The rest we gave back to the state,” Semenuk said. She said USM had actually been lucky. Some organizations had ordered their vaccine supplies though the government. When the government announced the shortage doses were withheld. Semenuk said because UHS had ordered directly from manufacturers, they at least received some of their order, allowing UHS to vaccinate those in need.
“We’ve tried to keep students our first priority,” Semenuk said, but generally only about 10 percent of USM students get immunized by UHS annually. Faculty, she said, are the group hardest hit by the shortage. “Staff and retirees are the ones asking for shots,” she said and many have been disappointed.
The state hopes to receive 70,000 doses in January, but according Semenuk says USM will not receive any additional doses.
Semenuk said UHS is trying to raise awareness of flu-transmitting activities. “We have been posting flyers around campus,” she said, “recommending students wash their hands often,” properly dispose of tissues and stay home if they develop flu-like symptoms.
Students going into UHS clinics may be asked to don protective masks, Semenuk said, to combat transmission of the virus. Nurses may be similarly attired. “It all depends on what kind of flu season we have,” she said.