As one of the worst flu seasons in years is hitting Iowa, the flu vaccine is becoming harder to find.
Health officials say we’re still in the early stages of this year’s flu season, but some Iowa hospitals are already running short on their supply of the flu vaccine.
A hospital in Cedar Falls says it has less than 100 doses of the vaccine left after starting the year with 3,000.
In many areas, the vaccine shortage can be blamed on a milder flu season a year ago. Many hospitals say they only ordered a limited number of vaccines due to the lack of demand last year.
Now that this year’s flu season is hitting Iowans harder than usual, the vaccine stocks are running low. To make matters worse, many hospitals don’t order additional vaccines if they run out of their original supply.
For Iowans who don’t like shots, the mist version of the flu vaccine, which is inhaled through the nose, has a shorter shelf life and may be more scarce.
By Jesse Gavin, KCNZ, Cedar Falls