DISCUSSION: What will make the Prioritization Guidance Acceptable?

COMMENT: How many doses in what time frame?

Submitted by Brant Goode   on 12/6/07 9:33 AM

Hi Deborah,

This is a great concern as well that is shared by many as Dr. Gellin's slideset from 2006 notes. The answer to your question about a specific number that could be vaccinated per week depends on how fast vaccines supplies are distributed, staff available to help, and other factors as well. If vaccine supply is not the major limiting factor, then giving it rapidly to large numbers will be the major challenge, but one that we would be ready to address--see paragraph below. Supply development hinges on many other factors, but it's great to ponder having enough effective vaccine for everyone! There remain many uncertainties that prevent us from giving a specific answer to your question as all of us would like to have.

Regarding actually vaccinating people in large numbers in short times: I have worked with health departments that stood up community vaccination efforts on very short notice for outbreaks of measles, hepatitis A and also recall getting in line to receive polio vaccine as a child at the local university. People are often willing to wait in long lines for something they feel will help them.

All that said, it will not be a routine affair--it will require significant infrastructure to provide the large numbers needed in as short a time as possible. There is part of the preparedness planning for pan flu that addresses this part of the challenge specifically, but it's not really the place to go into that here. You might look into Strategic National Stockpile and related efforts in your state for more information.

Brant