Nashville: State health officials said Tuesday they are not sure when they will get more flu vaccine.

The U. S. Department of Health and Human Services announced on Monday that an additional 375,000 doses of injectable flu vaccine is being purchased from UK based drug manufacturer Chiron. The vaccine will be made available to states according to an allocation system designed to insure equitable distribution of vaccine.

Health officials do not yet know what portion of the 375,000 doses will be allotted to Tennessee.

Decisions about where to distribute the vaccine and who it will be available to will be made in January, based on the situation and the demand at that time, officials said.

"Our intent is to order whatever amount of vaccine is available for purchase," said Commissioner Kenneth Robinson, MD. "Unfortunately, we will not be able to get any of the new vaccine until January. In the meantime, there are still a number of local health departments and private physicians that have a remaining supply of vaccine."

Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention made over 8,000 additional doses of vaccine available to Tennessee, and about 1,800 doses of that vaccine arrived this week. At the present time, local health departments are only giving vaccine to high-risk patients which include people over age 65, children ages 6 to 23 months, children and adults with chronic medical conditions, and pregnant women in their second and third trimesters. FluMist, a nasal spray vaccine which can be taken by healthy people between the ages of 5 and 49, is not in short supply and is available through private providers.

Robinson said there are a number of precautions that people can take to help them stay healthy during flu season besides getting vaccinated. Those include:
Wash your hands frequently with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand cleaner.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
Avoid close contact with people who are sick if possible.
Do not share eating utensils or drinking glasses.
Flu symptoms begin suddenly and may include fever, severe headache, body aches, sore throat and cough. Flu can make a person more susceptible to pneumonia, an illness that puts a severe strain on the heart and lungs, and which can be especially dangerous to people who already suffer from heart and lung disease. The Department of Health also offers these recommendations for people who are sick:
Don't wait too long to contact your physician if you're experiencing flu-like symptoms, particularly if you're elderly or have a chronic disease. Anti-viral medications can lessen the severity of flu if taken within the first 24-48 hours.
If you're sick, don't go out. Don't go to work when you are ill and don't send sick children to school.
Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue every time you cough or sneeze and throw the used tissue away. Wash your hands after coughing or sneezing.
If you're ill, drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration and get lots of rest.