Vaccine availability in the United States during the 2009 H1N1 outbreak

Authors

  • Stan N. Finkelstein, MD
  • Kallie J. Undergraduate Student
  • Julia A. Hopkins, Undergraduate Student
  • Sahar Hashmi, MD
  • Richard C. Larson, PhD

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5055/ajdm.2011.0041

Keywords:

vaccine availability, influenza, H1N1, nonpharmaceutical interventions

Abstract

Objective: After initial flu cases are reported, months elapse before vaccine becomes available. The authors report the experience of US states during the fall of 2009 on H1N1 vaccine availability in relation to the occurrence of disease.
Design: The authors used data from the Centers for Disease Control and prevention and state health departments to approximate second wave H1N1 epidemic curves. The authors compared these curves to two sources of vaccine distribution data—shipment and administration.
Results: Ten states received their first shipments of vaccine after the epidemic peaked, four states during the week of the peak, and 10 states only 1 week prior to the peak. In nearly half of all states, the epidemic had already begun to decline before any individuals could have been protected.
Conclusions: A sensible approach would be to highlight the importance of diligent hygienic behavior and to reduce the rate of human-to-human contacts before vaccine is available.

Author Biographies

Stan N. Finkelstein, MD

Senior Research Scientist, Engineering Systems Division and Harvard-MIT Divisions of Health Sciences and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts; Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.

Kallie J. Undergraduate Student

Civil and Environmental Engineering School of Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Julia A. Hopkins, Undergraduate Student

Civil and Environmental Engineering School of Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Sahar Hashmi, MD

PhD Candidate, Engineering Systems Division (ESD), Systems Design and Management (SDM), Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Richard C. Larson, PhD

Mitsui Professor of Engineering Systems Division (ESD), Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts; Director, Center for Engineering Systems Fundamentals (CESF), Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Sentinel Home Page. Available at http://www2a.cdc.gov/ilinet. Accessed July 29, 2010.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: CDC, Seasonal influenza (flu),Weekly Report: Influenza summary update; updated May 28, 2010. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/. Accessed July 29, 2010.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: CDC, Seasonal influenza (flu), 2009 to 10 influenza (flu) season; updated January 27, 2010. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/season/currentseason.htm. Accessed July29, 2010.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Graph and table of 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine doses allocated, ordered, and shipped; updated February 2, 2010. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/vaccination/vaccinesupply.htm. Accessed July 29, 2010.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Doses-administered reporting. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/H1N1flu/vaccination/statelocal/pdf/H1N1_DosesAdministered.pdf. Accessed January 25, 2011.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Seasonal influenza (flu) – Q & A: Seasonal flu vaccine. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/qa/fluvaccine.htm#doesflu. Accessed January 25, 2011.

Downloads

Published

01/01/2011

How to Cite

Finkelstein, MD, S. N., K. J. Undergraduate Student, J. A. Hopkins, Undergraduate Student, S. Hashmi, MD, and R. C. Larson, PhD. “Vaccine Availability in the United States During the 2009 H1N1 Outbreak”. American Journal of Disaster Medicine, vol. 6, no. 1, Jan. 2011, pp. 23-30, doi:10.5055/ajdm.2011.0041.