United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 2001-05-30 monographic deposited born digital 11 p. GA 1.13:GAO-01-786T https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-786T P0b002ee18039b49e f:d01786t DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-28 GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-786T machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-786T GAO-01-786T Health centers Health hazards Elderly persons Immunization programs Immunization services Swine influenza Oregon United Kingdom Testimony A01075 Until the 2001 flu season, the production and distribution of influenza vaccine generally occurred without major difficulties. Last year, however, several people reported that they wanted but could not get flu shots. In addition, physicians and public health departments could not provide shots to high-risk patients in their medical offices and clinics because they had not received vaccine they ordered many months in advance, or because they were being asked to pay much higher prices for vaccine in order to get it right away. At the same time, there were reports that providers in other locations, even grocery stores and restaurants, were offering flu shots to everyone--including younger, healthier people who were not at high risk. This testimony discusses issues relating to the delays in production, distribution, and pricing of the 2000-2001 flu vaccine. GAO found that manufacturing difficulties during the 2000-2001 flu season resulted in an overall delay of about six to eight weeks in shipping vaccine to most customers. This delay created an initial shortage and temporary price spikes. Furthermore, there is no system currently in place to ensure that high-risk people have priority for receiving flu shots when supply is short. Because purchase of the vaccine is mainly done in the private sector, federal actions to help mitigate any adverse effects of vaccine delays or shortages need to rely to a great extent on collaboration between the public and private sectors. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-786T/html/GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-786T.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-786T/pdf/GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-786T.pdf GAO-01-786T https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-786T Testimony GAO-01-786T; Flu Vaccine: Steps Are Needed to Better Prepare for Possible Future Shortages; Health centers Health hazards Elderly persons Immunization programs Immunization services Swine influenza Oregon United Kingdom