Flu shots are still being offered in Clallam County, but the shortage announced earlier this week has prompted several locations to cancel their upcoming vaccine clinics.
Pharmacists and store managers were inundated with phone calls Thursday from people wondering where they can find the vaccine.
“Today we’ve just had a flood of calls,” said store manager Larry Kelley at Costco Wholesale, which will hold a flu shot clinic today from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at its Carlsborg store.
Because of the shortage, high-risk people such as the elderly and young children will have priority for the immunization.
Two more clinics are planned at Costco — one on Wednesday and another on Oct. 16 — but four others have been canceled, Kelley said.
The rationing and cancellations come after British regulators on Tuesday unexpectedly shut down Chiron Corp., one of two major flu-shot suppliers to the United States.
The company was under contract to produce slightly less than half of the doses destined for this country.
Flu shot priorities
Health officials began urging those with the vaccine to prioritize their flu shots for people most at risk.
Jim’s Pharmacy in Port Angeles didn’t receive any vaccine and has canceled its clinics, said owner Joe Cammack, who estimated about one of every three calls to the drugstore Thursday was about flu shots.
“Kind of the big question is, what’s going to become of the supply?” Cammack said.
Frick Drugs in Sequim lost its allocation from Chiron and had not received any vaccine prior to Tuesday’s shutdown, said Pharmacy Manager Jim Benson.
“This year we’re just waiting to hear,” said Benson, who advised people to listen to the news and keep in touch with their doctors’ offices.
