Getting Involved

Edition: November 2007 - Vol 15 Number 11
Article#: 2801
Author: M. Sandler

Although the fevers and coughs have yet to peak, the 2007-2008 flu season is in full swing for those in the healthcare industry.

The supply of influenza vaccine is anticipated to exceed 130 million doses this year, with manufacturers estimating the availability of more than 90 million of those doses as of October.

Increasingly, medical products distributors are playing a vital role in making sure those available doses reach their physician office, extended care and hospital customers.

“We project that about half of the nation’s flu vaccine supply will go through distributors this year, much as it did last year,” says Andrew E. Van Ostrand, vice president of policy and research, with the Health Industry Distributors Association (HIDA).

“Distributors’ commitment to supplying customers with vaccine has grown from 35 percent just two years ago to 50 percent today,” he adds. “In fact, more than eight out of 10 doses of flu vaccine sent to a physician’s office go through a distributor.”



A part to play for everyone

The role of all distributors in preventing the spread of influenza extends beyond basic supply and delivery.

Whether your company operates in this market or not, each distributor is an important advisor to their customer.

“We can all help increase provider education about the flu and foster a greater understanding of how the medical products supply chain works,” Van Ostrand said.

HIDA has developed a number of resources that explain what seasonal influenza is, its scope, and the medical and regulatory guidelines surrounding it. These resources range from free, one-page flyers that sales reps can give to customers as a value add, to a dedicated Web site (www.FluSupplyNews.com) that details how the entire flu vaccine manufacturing and distribution supply system operates.

The government and a number of healthcare stakeholders are also interested in getting distributors more involved in the fight to prevent influenza. Sales reps can visit www.preventinfluenza.org to learn more about these initiatives.

Meanwhile, distributor companies involved in supplying flu vaccine can participate in a new Influenza Availability Tracking System (IVATS) hosted by the American Medical Association at www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/16919.html.

“The opportunities to get involved in flu prevention are out there,” said Van Ostrand. “And the time to do so is now.”



What’s New about the Flu?



More than 200,000 Americans get the flu each year and more than 36,000 people die from seasonal influenza. Children and the elderly are the most susceptible to the disease.



For the 2007-2008 flu season, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advise that your provider customers follow these new guidelines in order to protect more people from the flu:



• Continue to vaccinate beyond the traditional months of October and November.



• Healthcare workers should also be vaccinated against the flu.



• Advise patients to have their families vaccinated to increase communitywide immunization.



• Encourage those at high risk of contracting the flu (i.e., children and the elderly) to be vaccinated.



To learn more about the influenza supply chain visit, www.FluSupplyNews.com. For additional resources, including free educational materials, contact HIDA at (703) 549-4432 or visit www.HIDA.org.