David Satcher, M.D., Ph.D.
Assistant Secretary for Health and Surgeon General
Office of Public Health and Science

Wednesday, October 25, 2000, at 10:00 a.m.

• Good morning. Each year, just prior to influenza and pneumococcal season, I look forward to this opportunity to remind the American people of how far we've come in our ability to ward off these potentially deadly viruses. 
  
  
• I look forward to it because I realize that, despite our tremendous scientific advances, we are not at the place where we can prevent the spread of every infectious disease. But we can do something about flu and pneumonia. 
  
  
• Fortunately, effective vaccines exist that allow us to protect ourselves against influenza and pneumococcal diseases. These vaccines are the best tools to prevent unnecessary severe illness and death among the elderly and chronically ill.
  
  
• Unfortunately, too many adults are missing valuable opportunities to prevent the spread of flu and pneumonia by not getting immunized. As a result, 20,000 Americans die unnecessarily from influenza each year, and 12,500 die needlessly from pneumococcal disease. Combined, these diseases result in more than 32,000 preventable deaths each year.
  

Introduction of Panel

• Joining me today to stress the importance of getting influenza and pneumococcal vaccines, along with the National Foundation for Infectious Disease and the National Coalition for Adult Immunization, are:
  
  

• the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 

• the Health Care Financing Administration, 

• the American College of Physicians and American Society of Internal Medicine,

• and the National Medical Association. 
  

• We have gathered to ask the Nation's physicians, nurses, and other healthcare providers to make sure that those who are most at risk for influenza disease are immunized first this year.

Promoting a Strategic Approach to Vaccine Distribution

• Because of delays in production of the influenza vaccine, we have to be more strategic in our distribution this year. So we are urging, through the month of November, that healthcare providers focus first on immunizing the elderly and the chronically ill— those groups who are most at risk.
  
  

• We expect to administer flu vaccine to high-risk populations and the healthcare workers who care for them by the end of November. After that, we encourage healthy persons to get their flu shots.
  
  

• We do NOT anticipate a shortage of vaccine. This year's supply should be approximately equal to what was distributed last year, but a substantial amount of the vaccine will merely reach providers later than usual. 
  
  

• Based on information provided by manufacturers, we anticipate distribution of approximately 75 million doses. During last year's influenza season in the United States, approximately 77 million doses of vaccine were distributed, of which 3 million were returned, for a net distribution of 74 million doses. 
  
  

• Whereas in the past most vaccine doses usually became available to providers by October, with 99 percent of distributed doses available before December, this year, we expect to distribute some 18 million doses to healthy individuals awaiting vaccine by December. 
  
  

• The degree of delay will vary for individual providers. We urge high-risk persons to remain patient but persistent with their healthcare provides to obtain their annual flu vaccination when vaccine becomes available. CDC is working with individual States, the vaccine manufacturers, and healthcare systems to help providers obtain vaccines for high-risk persons. 
  
  

Pneumococcal Vaccine

• We do not foresee any delays in pneumococcal vaccines this year and recommend that everyone, especially these same high-risk individuals, also get the one-time vaccination against pneumococcal disease early in the season if they haven't already done so. 
  
  

• Even in cases where the influenza vaccine is not yet available, we recommend getting pneumococcal vaccination, although let me stress that it is not a substitute for influenza vaccination and patients need to return for influenza vaccine when it is available.
  
  

Introduction of Dr. Kristin Nichol

• This press conference is a great opportunity to underscore and review recent CDC recommendations prioritizing flu and pneumococcal vaccination this year. Dr. Keiji (pn. Kay Jee) Fukuda from the CDC will explain these recommendations in greater detail in a few moments. 
  
  

• Now, I would like to introduce Dr. Kristin Nichol from the VA Medical Center in Minneapolis. Dr. Nichol, who is an expert in infectious diseases, particularly influenza and pneumococcal diseases, is a member of CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. She will give you background on these diseases and explain in greater detail who is considered at "high risk" for these diseases and in need of priority vaccination.