Fears that government shutdown could hurt flu vaccine supply
As the government shutdown stretches into week three, concerns are growing over a potentially dwindling supply of the flu vaccine. There's no word yet if the vaccine supply in Washington state will be impacted, but other states including Oklahoma are already anticipating a crunch.
The flu vaccine is made several months in advance and states are already receiving shipments. At one pharmacy in Oklahoma, however, demand is high and the supply is already running low.
“This may be a larger and stronger flu season than we have seen in about five years," said Thrifty Pharmacy owner Dani Lynch in a report published by CNN. "We’ve seen much more people getting vaccinated.”
Lynch worries their supply of the flu vaccine will eventually run out if the government shutdown continues.
Due to furloughs during the shutdown, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention already announced cutbacks on weekly influenza monitoring across the country. The CDC is still keeping some employees to cover emergency operations.
Read more about how the shutdown could impact flu season here.