Seasonal flu vaccine in short supply

Soaring demand for the seasonal flu vaccine is causing shortages at some local pharmacies and health clinics.

CVS, Jewel-Osco and Walgreens drugstores have all reported scattered shortages, and McHenry and Will County health departments have run out of the vaccine.

Supplies of the H1N1 vaccine have also been delayed as manufacturers try to keep up with demand for both the swine flu and seasonal flu shots.

"It's really due to increased demand," Walgreens spokesman Robert Elfinger said. "All the media coverage and CDC advisories have really brought a lot of awareness to people."

Walgreens has given out more than 4 million shots so far this year, compared to 1.2 million doses throughout last flu season. Supervalu, which owns Jewel-Osco, says demand is up 30 percent this year.

One Walgreens in Hoffman Estates was down to its last 30 shots, and another in Elk Grove Village Town Center had about 100 left. A site in downtown Naperville ran out last week.

Dominick's maintains it has "ample" supplies of seasonal flu vaccines at stores with pharmacies and for scheduled clinics at stores that do not have pharmacies.

In general, customers should call ahead to see whether vaccines are available at any given location.

For the most part, once Walgreens and Osco stores run out, they won't be getting more. When CVS has isolated shortages, sites will be replenished as supplies allow.

Among county health departments:

• Cook County has not had a shortage of seasonal flu vaccine.

• Monday was the last day Lake County held a public clinic for seasonal flu shots. The rest of the vaccines are targeted for employees.

• DuPage County still has seasonal flu shots available. It also had a clinic Monday for health care workers and emergency workers, including paramedics and police.

• Kane County is not administering seasonal flu shots for the public, but is giving seasonal vaccines and 500 doses of FluMist to health care workers and emergency workers. Once that's done, Kane officials plan to administer free H1N1 vaccines to the public starting Oct. 26 at nine public sites, primarily high schools, on three successive Mondays, and on Saturdays on Nov. 21 and Dec. 5. For details, see kanehealth.com.

• In McHenry County, officials suspended appointments for adults to get seasonal flu shots last month because of delays in getting the vaccine. The county is holding off on making new appointments for seasonal flu shots for children, though appointments already made will be honored.

Despite the scattered outages, seasonal flu shots remain available at many doctors' offices, clinics and pharmacies throughout the suburbs. H1N1 vaccines are expected to arrive this month.