(Spirit Lake)– The national shortage of flu vaccine has caught up with local health officials.
Mary Dunleavy of Dickinson County Public Health says if you didn’t get a flu shot and want one now, you’re out of luck.
Dunleavy says Dickinson County Public Health’s supply of flu vaccine has been exhausted. She says they started a waiting list, but says they decided to stop doing that because they have more than a hundred names. Dunleavy says chances of getting additional vaccine are small.
Dunleavy attributes the shortage of vaccine to growing fears among the public as they hear reports of how severe the flu is in other parts of the country. She says it resulted in a sudden surge in demand, when supplies were already low.
Meanwhile, Dunleavy says her office is documenting some of the first flu cases of the season in Dickinson county. And she says her office has received reports of increased absenteeism from some local schools in recent days due to illness.
