Some Pediatricians Waiting On Flu Vaccines For Kids
(CBS) -- Flu season is almost upon us, but some parents are finding it difficult to get their children vaccinated.
That's because many doctors' offices don't have the flu vaccine.
CBS 2's Mai Martinez explains why.
Georgia Benson and her big sister, Chloe, may not like getting their flu shot, but their mother is happy.
"We don't have to worry about the flue season anymore," mom Michelle Benson says.
She can breathe a sigh of relief but thousands of other parents are still waiting for their peace of mind.
That's because due to production problems, many doctors' offices --pediatricians in particular - -have only received a fraction of their flu vaccine orders from manufacturers.
Dr. Alanna Levine's office is one of them.
"There's been a delay in the release of the vaccine, which has made it very hard for us to get all our patients vaccinated on time," Levine says.
Dr. Levine says she is down to her last few doses of flu vaccines specifically made for children. But The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the lack of supply is due to a shipping delay and not an actual shortage of the vaccine.
The CDC says the overall vaccine supply is 10 million doses behind for this time of year.
And to give you an idea of the demand, Town and Country Pediatrics here in Chicago says they gave out 1,500 flu shots over the past two weekend -- and that was just for children.
