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ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Health officials say the nasal spray that fights the flu is in short supply at Minnesota hospitals and clinics.
The state has received just 42 percent of the FluMist it ordered, Minnesota Department of Health infectious diseases director Kris Ehresmann said.
The only company that makes the nasal vaccine, AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals, attributes the shortage to production challenges with two of four strains in the vaccine.
The company said in a statement it has shipped nearly 7 million doses of the vaccine through mid-November in the U.S. And, it will be shipping several million more through late November and into December.
The no-needle alternative is popular among children. Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota pharmacy director Diane Alexander said they've gotten about 60 percent of its FluMist order. It's an "inconvenience," she said, and kids have been told they have to get a shot.
"We thought we were set with our order," Alexander said. "We now have to go back and figure out how many more shots we have to order."
The shortage is also affecting children who qualify for free vaccines under the federal Vaccines for Children program, which is administered in Minnesota by the state Department of Health.
"We've seen very little FluMist in that program," Alexander said.
The state is currently seeing sporadic flu activity, The Star Tribune (http://strib.mn/1O5Rc5Q ) reports. Flu season generally goes from October through May and peaks in January and February, though it peaked earlier than normal last year.
Ten children died from flu-related complications last year in Minnesota.
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Information from: Star Tribune, http://www.startribune.com
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