Flu shots will still be available at local health departments.TOLEDO, OH (Toledo News Now) – Local drug
stores and pharmacies that offered flu shots early this year are already
running out of stock.
"Generally what we've seen in the past is every year…your chain stores start to
try to beat the competition and one of their strategies is to start giving flu
shots earlier and earlier each year," said Ben Batey, nursing director of the
Wood County Health District.
A spokesperson from the Sylvania Kroger said they started offering flu shots in
August this year at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC)
request. Now they are already out of stock.
"We ordered enough product to run our immunization campaign through
Thanksgiving," the spokesperson said in a statement. "Typically, demand goes
down after the holiday season begins. Demand was up this year, so we have
already depleted our stock and our excess stock that is available to us."
Batey said stores may have ordered less this year as well, due to last year's
mild winter.
"Every year you kind of have to pick and choose what kind of flu
season you think it may be," Batey explained. "On the one hand, you want to
have enough stockpile for everybody that wants it, but you also don't want to
be sitting with a thousand doses that are going to go unused."
However, Batey said there is no real shortage or higher demand this year. While
Kroger will not be re-supplying their stock of flu shots for the rest of the
season, people can still visit the Wood County Health District or the Lucas
County Health Department for their flu shots.
"We still have plenty in stock and we kind of anticipate to continue to do them
through February," Batey said.
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