No flu-shot shortage on Capitol Hill

WASHINGTON — While many Americans search in vain for flu shots, members and employees of Congress are able to obtain them quickly and at no charge from the Capitol's attending physician, who has urged all 535 lawmakers to get the vaccines even if they are young and healthy.

The physician's office has dispensed nearly 2,000 flu shots this fall, and doses remained available yesterday. That's a steep drop from last year's 9,000 shots, said a spokesman for attending physician John Eisold, because many congressional employees have voluntarily abided by federal guidelines that call for this season's limited supply to go to the elderly, the very young, pregnant women, long-term care patients and people with chronic illnesses.

But people of all ages who are credentialed to work in the Capitol can get a shot by saying they meet the guidelines, with no further questions asked, said the spokesman, who requested anonymity. The policy applies to thousands of legislative staffers, police, construction workers, restaurant employees, journalists and others who work in the Capitol complex.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., a heart surgeon, sent letters urging his 99 colleagues to get the shots because they mingle and shake hands with so many people, said his spokeswoman Amy Call. She said she did not know how many senators took his advice.

Eisold "is a big believer that members of Congress are at high risk, because they shake hands with a lot of people" and then visit veterans' centers and other concentrations of susceptible people, his spokesman said. Because lawmakers can be both victims and spreaders of flu, he said, Eisold urged all 535 to get the shots.

The practice appears to directly contravene the instructions being given by the executive branch of government. Tommy Thompson, secretary of Health and Human Services, reiterated the Bush administration's guidelines at a news conference yesterday afternoon.

"What we are telling people is if you are not in a priority category, do not get the shot," he said. "If you are one of the doctors who got vaccine in the early shipments, please do not give it to people who are not in one of the classifications I have just spelled out."

The White House medical unit is giving flu shots only to staff "meeting the CDC guidelines," said Trent Duffy, of the press office.

The target populations for flu vaccination, as described by CDC guidelines, include people older than 65, children ages 6 months to 23 months, people ages 2 to 64 with chronic illnesses, pregnant women and medical workers involved directly in patient care.

Sen. Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn., 62, said in an interview yesterday, "I haven't done it yet, but I want to. We're not in the priority category" set by the CDC. "But I think the (Capitol's) doctor makes a good case. We can pick it up and spread it" through interactions with constituents.

Thompson called the press conference in part to announce another small addition to the vaccine supply — 2.6 million more doses that Aventis Pasteur will deliver sometime in January.

Aventis is one of two companies licensed to sell injectable vaccine in the United States. The other one, Chiron, had been expected to provide the United States with 46 million to 48 million doses of flu vaccine, nearly half its expected supply. But British regulators closed its Liverpool facility because of bacterial contamination found in some samples.

It's unclear how helpful the additional doses to be supplied by Aventis will be. Most flu seasons peak in January or later, and it takes two weeks for people to develop immunity after being vaccinated. The CDC usually recommends that people be vaccinated in October or November.

"We're waging a comprehensive and aggressive response," Thompson said. "We have good reason to be optimistic in our ability to deal with the flu season and protect the most vulnerable from its harsh effects."

He said there was enough antiviral medicine available to treat 40 million people — shortening illness in people sick with the flu and preventing illness in healthy people. Between vaccines and antiviral drugs, enough medicine will be available to treat 100 million people this flu season, he said.

Thompson defended the administration's response to the shortage following criticism from Sen. John Kerry, President Bush's Democratic challenger, who has raised the issue on the campaign trail.

Kerry has said the administration failed to heed warnings about a potential shortage. "If you can't get flu vaccines to Americans, how are you going to protect them against bioterrorism? If you can't get flu vaccines to Americans, what kind of health-care program are you running?" he said.

Thompson, indicating a graph showing the growth in federal influenza-related spending from $39 million in 2001 to a proposed $283 million next year, countered, "No president or administration has invested more in the flu than this one."

Both Bush and Kerry have said they will not seek a flu shot.

Meanwhile, officials are looking "throughout the world" for additional vaccine, said Lester Crawford, Food and Drug Administration acting commissioner.

Crawford said the FDA would give expedited review to flu vaccine produced by ID Biomedical of Canada. The expedited review — "weeks, rather than months" — means 1.5 million Canadian flu shots could reach Americans this season, he said.