Get Ready for The Coming "Flu" Psy-Ops and Martial Law

Influenza Spreads; More U.S. States Report Outbreaks (Update4) Listen
Dec. 11 (Bloomberg) -- The influenza epidemic is spreading in the U.S. as the number of states with big outbreaks almost doubled to 24 during the past week, a government report shows.

Flu outbreaks affected at least half of each state, the report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found. The epidemic hasn't peaked and health officials don't know how long it will last. At least three states have reported flu- related deaths, including nine Colorado children.

The virus is a particularly severe strain, called Fujian, that may cause brain infections, seizures and dehydration in children. Compounding the crisis is a shortage of flu shots caused by a surge in demand this month and a 13 percent reduction in vaccines available compared with a year earlier.

``Influenza began circulating in the United States unusually early this season, and influenza activity nationwide is expected to increase,'' the study by Atlanta-based CDC found.

The outbreak is most severe in western states. Sixteen states west of the Mississippi River have widespread outbreaks. The CDC reports these states have the worst flu outbreaks: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington and Wyoming.

All 50 states have reported outbreaks, and it's difficult to predict an exact number of flu cases because many aren't reported to the government.

83 Million Doses

Most of 83 million doses of flu vaccine available in the U.S. at the beginning of the outbreak have been distributed. The flu struck in October, which is much earlier than past seasons.

Drugmakers Aventis SA and Chiron Corp. make almost all the vaccine used in the U.S. After buying additional vaccines from Aventis, the government will ship 100,000 doses to states next week and another 150,000 for children in January, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson said at a news conference.

The CDC has discussed buying another vaccine from Emeryville, California-based Chiron Corp. that is approved for use in England and not the U.S., said Julie Gerberding, director of the CDC. Additional testing of that vaccine is needed before it can be distributed, she told reporters.

FluMist

Even with the shortages of injected vaccines, supplies of FluMist nasal spray remain. The product, made by MedImmune Inc., was approved in June as the first nasal-spray vaccine in the U.S.

Sales of FluMist, which is much more expensive than shots, have faltered after insurers refused to cover it. However, Aetna Inc. and Cigna Corp., the second- and third-biggest U.S. health insurers, and two Blue Cross plans announced today that they would pay for FluMist for this flu season because of the extraordinary outbreak.

The news sent MedImmune shares up 81 cents, or 3 percent, to $28.81 as of 4 p.m., New York time in Nasdaq Stock Market composite trading. Wyeth, which helps sell FluMist, rose 67 cents to $39.01 in New York Stock Exchange composite trading.

The vaccine makers cut their production this year based on the amount of product that went unused last year.

People older than 50 or with chronic conditions like diabetes or asthma are at highest risk of flu complications. Women who are more than three months pregnant and health-care workers should seek shots, the CDC said. The agency encourages vaccination for children 6 months to 2 years old.

Last Updated: December 11, 2003 16:47 EST