The free flu vaccination clinics held around campus for the last three years have been cancelled this fall due to a nationwide shortage that has the Center for Health and Counseling administering the vaccine only to "high-risk" students, staff, and faculty. High-risk patients include children ages 6 to 23 months; people over 65; anyone with a chronic condition such as diabetes; and anyone who cares for or lives with babies younger than 6 months.

"We're bummed," said Dr. John Fellerath, director of the health center, "It's in our best interest to keep people healthy."

The free clinics have been held at various locations around campus during the beginning of the flu season, and the number of vaccinated people had doubled just in the few years that they have been offered. The Center for Health and Counseling has been able to get more and more doses each year (free of charge) from the State of Alaska to conduct the clinics, but this year, the State's normal order of 100,000 doses was cut to 60,000.

The shortage resulted when Chiron, one of two companies supplying the entire U. S. with flu vaccine had the manufacturing license at its Liverpool factory suspended by the British government. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control has recommended that only individuals at the highest risk receive the vaccine, but in Fairbanks, even some of those will be turned away.

"It sounds like even people at high risk won't be able to get one," said Dr. BJ Aldrich, of the Center for Health and Counseling,

She was right: according to an internal source at the Tanana Valley Clinic, one of the largest private providers in Fairbanks, TVC has only enough doses to vaccinate children four and under.

There is a nasal spray vaccine on the market made for young to middle aged people, but it has live flu virus cells, and there's a small chance that a patient could get the virus from using it. The normal flu shot has a weakened version of the flu that stimulates and strengthens the immune system.

For  "young healthy students," said Dr. Aldrich, missing out on a vaccine is not something to worry about. For dorm residents living in close quarters, the risk of getting sick is greater but actually coming down with the flu is still rare. Often times, people will refer to the flu after a particularly bad bout with the common cold, she said. Aldrich noted that there were no tested cases of the flu on campus last year, but that a few people tested positive the year before.

"Two years ago we had some very sick people," she said.

One thing people can do is wash their hands regularly, either with soap or antiseptic lotion, said Aldrich.

"It can really make the difference between having a sick winter or not."

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