Seasonal flu shots are harder to find

Raleigh, N.C. — Shots for the seasonal flu are getting more difficult to find across the state.

Johnston County Health Director Dr. Marilyn Pearson said the county ran out of the vaccine. The department did not receive its full order and had to cancel shots for a day.

“I don’t think it’s very clear why it’s not available,” Pearson said.

Pharmacist Mike James said his business, Person Street Pharmacy in Raleigh, still doesn’t have the seasonal flu vaccine.

"We were hoping to have seasonal vaccine no later than the middle of September,” James said. “We're still not able to get a firm date of when it's coming it.”

James said the shortfall has been created by suppliers trying to increase production of the H1N1 vaccine.

“We wound up seeing a situation where they couldn’t produce enough seasonal vaccine,” James said.

Wake County officials said the county is still stocked with the seasonal supply, but they are not planning to add any additional clinics to the schedule.

Susan Slosman went to several local pharmacies to get the seasonal flu shot ,but found they were out of the vaccine.

Slosman eventually got the shot at a Wake County clinic.

Click a spot on the map for the location, dates and times of flu vaccination clinics.

View Wake County Health Centers in a larger map

4 Comments

WRAL.com welcomes your comments on this story. All comments are moderated prior to publication based on our posting guidelines. Please review them prior to posting and if your message is not approved.

4 COMMENTS

This story is closed for comments. Comments on WRAL.com news stories are accepted and moderated between the hours of 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Latest Comments

As far as H1N1, while children are supposedly high-risk and therefore among the first in line, not a child I know has been able to get the vaccine.

I read last week that a large percentage of the H1N1 purchased by the US goverment is going to help other countries. Once again we are shaaaring...

fishon
October 28, 2009 11:21 a.m.

This is old news. It took me a month to get a shot for my 7-year-old. Her pediatrician's office ran out of them very early and to date, never got more in. I have never had a problem getting the shot for her in past years. As far as H1N1, while children are supposedly high-risk and therefore among the first in line, not a child I know has been able to get the vaccine.

tropicalgirl
October 28, 2009 10:16 a.m.

Of course they will not have enough shots, the drug companies have to make sure they have enough customers for this flu season, not to mention the dr's offices.

squawk08
October 27, 2009 5:43 p.m.

what a joke. just like Katrina, the Govt can't handle it! CDC is a joke! They want to run healthcare? What a laugh. Leave it to them and we'll all be dead! Got my reg. flu shot early cause I KNEW this would happen. We're not taking the pig/goat flu shot, not that we could get it anyway. cough, cough, sneeze, oops, sorry!