Britain suspends license for major supplier of flu vaccine

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D.H. overheard the following exchange on a transit bus in Vancouver BC, October 5/04: "Did you get your flu shot?" "Hell no! I took a flu shot last year and I've been ill with a chronic flu ever since!"

Britain suspends license for major supplier of flu vaccine

LONDON (AP) - British health authorities on Tuesday blocked flu vaccine shipments by the company that produces half the vaccine used in the United States just ahead of the flu season. Chiron's manufacturing license was suspended immediately for three months because of manufacturing problems, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency said.

The Health Department did not elaborate on the reason.

Chiron (CHIR), which produces the Fluvirin vaccine, said earlier that factory tests revealed that some batches of vaccine failed sterility testing - suggesting contamination - and that all 50 million doses that the company was producing would be held up for additional tests. (Related: Chiron's August press release).

Under Tuesday's suspension - which comes just ahead of the vaccine season in the United States - the Oxford, England-based company will not be able to supply any influenza vaccines to any market, health officials said.

In Washington, Health and Human Services spokesman Anthony Jewell said it's not yet clear how the British sanction will affect U.S. supplies. Food and Drug Administration officials are working with their counterparts in Britain and Chiron to determine that, he said.

"We are just learning the details," he said.

Flu shot campaigns usually start in October, a month before the flu season typically begins in the United States. In an average year, flu kills 36,000 people and hospitalizes another 114,000, mostly the elderly.

Chiron had planned to provide the United States between 46 million and 48 million flu shots this year, almost half the nation's supply.

Less than two weeks ago, top U.S. health officials assured the public that close FDA monitoring of the rest of Chiron's supply suggested it was fine and that there would be plenty of supplies.

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