MODESTO BEE
ORIGINAL ARTICLE

By KEN CARLSON
BEE STAFF WRITER

Last Updated: October 13, 2005, 04:20:17 AM PDT

Public health departments in Stanislaus, Merced and Tuolumne counties are moving forward with flu-shot clinics, despite reports of delayed shipments of vaccine for seniors and low-income residents.
San Joaquin County is providing flu shots for young children of low-income families but is holding off on clinics for adults until vaccine is available.

Meanwhile, a private company is holding flu shot clinics at supermarkets and drug stores in the area. The available vaccine is reserved for people in high-risk categories until Oct. 24.

The Stanislaus County Health Services Agency has enough vaccine to start its clinics targeted for seniors next week, said Nancy Bancroft, a public health nurse for the agency. It's counting on additional shipments of vaccine to hold clinics in late October and early November.

"We are going to get started until we run out," she said. The agency has 23clinics scheduled, most intended to increase vaccination of seniors.

The state Department of Health Ser-vices ordered 751,200 doses for lowincome residents statewide this year and distributed the first shipments to county agencies in September.

DHS spokeswoman Tacey Derenzy said half was purchased from Sanofi Pasteur Inc. and the rest from Chiron Corp., whose 2004 production was nullified by a regulatory shutdown of its Liverpool, England, manufacturing plant.

On Wednesday, a Chiron official said the Food and Drug Administration approved its first three lots of vaccine, totaling 1.5 million doses, and the company planned to make prorated delivery of the vaccine to distributors in a few days. The company has projected production of 18 million to 26 million doses this year.

"We are in full production and expect to be through November and into December," said Alison Marquiss, a Chiron spokeswoman. "This (initial approval) is a great step, and we expect more vaccine to follow."

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