CDC Downplays Swine Flu Vaccine Fears

Goverment Health Officials Say U.S. Preparations Should Preclude Risk of Shortage

Abc News

Federal health officials today downplayed reports suggesting that a swine flu vaccine may not be ready by fall and resisted the notion that the United States is vulnerable because of its dependance on overseas manufacturers who might be inclined to keep their supplies.

"We have contracts in place with five countries, and their manufacturing enterprises are in five locations," said Dr. Anne Schuchat, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said during an afternoon teleconference. "We haven't gotten information that makes us question the supply that we've been promised."

The teleconference brought together experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration and the Department of Health and Human Services and addressed concerns that vaccine supplies, once available, may be too scarce to go around.

The conference came one day after the federal government deployed its first wave of funds to stave off the swine flu.

Much of this money is slated for swine flu vaccine development, approval and distribution. Read more..