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The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has mentioned that the initial doses of the anti-swine flu drug will be made available in the form of nasal sprays.
Jay Butler, the chief of the CDC’s 2009 H1N1 vaccine task force, has mentioned that the 3.4 million doses of the swine flu vaccine, available in the form of nasal sprays, should be used by people between 2 and 49 of age. He also added that about 900,000 people can avail the drug from October first week.
“The government has purchased 195 million doses. It’s a very large logistical undertaking,” Butler said. “You have to get this vaccine from five manufacturers out to some 90,000 provider sites around the country.”
He also mentioned that vaccine shots which can be administered in the form of injections may also be provided to the public by early October. He added that about 20 million vaccine doses a week will be made available by October end.
CDC officials confirmed Friday that swine flu was reported in all 50 US states, with 21 states reporting widespread flu activity.
“We don’t see that kind of activity this time of year usually,” said Daniel Jernigan, who is the deputy director of the influenza division of CDC, adding that, “It’s a very strange thing for us to see that amount of influenza at this time of year.”
Each year during the regular flu season, an estimated 36,000 people die in the US alone, and at least 200,000 are hospitalised.
