From Vincent Iannelli, M.D.,
Your Guide to Pediatrics.
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About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by Kate Grossman, MD

Does your pediatrician have flu shots?

Will you be able to get a flu shot at work or school?

Remember that the shortages of flu shots the last few years left many parents scrambling to find flu shots for their kids. This year is supposed to be different though, with an estimated 132 million doses of flu vaccine being available this year.

So everyone should be able to get a flu shot this year.

Although we are beginning to reach the peak of this year's flu season, it still isn't too late to get a flu shot. You should quickly try to find a flu shot for your child though if you still plan on getting him one this year.

Flu Shot Shortages?

If your child does need a flu shot, your Pediatrician is still the best place to start looking, but if they aren't offering flu vaccine this year, you might check with your local health department, hospital, or pharmacies, and get one wherever you can.

Keep in mind that if your doctor has a limited supply of flu vaccine, then he or she might reserve it for priority patients only and not give it to healthy children who are not in a high risk group.

Fortunately, no one is talking about flu shot shortages or delays this year. In fact, Sanofi Pasteur, which makes Fluzone, the flu shot that pediatricians often use, started shipping flu shots to pediatricians early this year. And it seems like most pediatricians and clinics had a ready supply of flu shots to give all of their patients, so there weren't any shortages like we have had in recent years.

Find Flu Shots

In addition to your pediatrician, other places to look if you can't find a flu vaccine for your child might include:

• the American Lung Association web site ( www.lungusa.org ) and their online flu shot locator.
• Maxim Health Systems, a nationwide provider of flu shot clinics.
• your local or state health department (this is often your best bet to get a flu shot).
• flu shot clinics advertised at pharmacies, grocery stores, community centers, churches, office parks, shopping malls, etc.

FluMist

FluMist, the nasal spray flu vaccine will again be in good supply this year, and may be a good option for healthy people from the ages of 2 to 49 years. And because they have lowered the price to make it more competitive with flu shots, it may be a more economical option too. Plus, FluMist is an especially good option for healthy people aged 2 to 49 years who are caregivers or household contacts of infants less than 6 months old and most health care workers, as long as they don't care for severely immuno-compromised patients.

Problems Finding Flu Shots

The bottom line right now is that there shouldn't be any shortages this year, but if you have an opportunity to get a flu shot for your child or for yourself, take it. You might not get another chance if problems do develop as they have in the last few years.

If you can't find a flu shot right now, keep looking. Deliveries of flu shots usually continue through January and into February, so even doctors and clinics who don't have any flu shots right now, might get some soon. Or ask to be put on a waiting list and to be called as soon as any flu shots come in.

Influenza Vaccine Availability Tracking System

In addition to the problems manufacturing the pediatric flu shot last year, as in past years, there was a problem with distributing flu shots to doctors. This is why you see some pediatricians with plenty of flu shots for all of their patients and other offices with a limited supply. Or some pediatricians with no flu shots, but a grocery store down the road having daily flu clinics for whoever wants one.

Hopefully the addition of more flu shot manufacturers will help to resolve this problem in the future, but until then, the CDC and AMA have set up the Influenza Vaccine Availability Tracking System to try and match up doctors and flu shot distributors to help make sure all flu shots are used by the patients who need them. If your pediatrician doesn't have any flu shots, you might make them aware of this service and see if he can order some.

Flu Shots:

• Avoiding Getting Sick with the Flu
• Kids and the Flu
• Flu Questions and Answers

Updated for the 2007-2008 Flu Season.

For more information, please visit our guide to Kids and the Flu.