JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – If you haven't gotten your child a flu shot, you might be out of luck because pediatricians are reporting a nationwide shortage of the vaccine.
Jacksonville pediatrician Dr. Mary Soha said her office isn't expecting to get any more flu vaccines until November because production can't keep up with demand.
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That could have an effect on young patients whose immune system is already compromised, right at the start of flu season.
The flu vaccine is encouraged through public awareness campaigns, but it's not effective when the supply runs out.
"It has a big impact when we're trying to prevent flu, especially in our chronic kids, kids that have asthma or heart disease, immune compromised for some reason," Soha said. "A flu for us might not send us to the hospital, but them, they could end up in the hospital."
Soha said vaccine manufacturer Sanofi Pasteur informed her office that it is behind in production, and she may not get another shipment for at least a month.
"It's hard as a physician right now because we take care of the sickest of the sickest right now," Soha said. "And we rely on flu vaccines and we're often the last to get shipped to behind the bigger companies, because the bigger companies, they make the bigger purchases."
Companies like CVS and Walgreens do still have flu vaccine available for walk-in customers, but most major stores have age restrictions and won't administer vaccines to young children.
"That's a little bit concerning because I have a 7-week-old at home, and my husband travels 42 weeks a year across the state, so that is concerning he'll bring things in the house with a little one at home," parent Mary Bolger said.
She said the fear of enterovirus and Ebola has Americans more concerned than ever about their health.
In the meantime, parents can give their kids flu mist after checking with their doctors and can also get the trivalent vaccine, which only protects from three of the four strains of flu.