Seasonal flu vaccine may be hard to find

NORFOLK -- If you think finding the H1N1 vaccine was difficult, health officials say get ready for to hunt for seasonal flu vaccine.

"Because of all the publicity about influenza then -- that's seasonal flu and H1N1 --- so the demand up and all the attention to this and people went and got their shots early. We're seeing less of the vaccine available," says Va. Department of Health spokesman Larry Hill.

Dr. Ed Oldfield with Eastern Virginia Medical School says reports of a decrease in the number of flu cases doesn't mean you should forget getting vaccinated.

"What we may see is that the pandemic virus becomes the seasonal virus. That's actually the most likely scenario," he believes. "So for sure, I would get the seasonal vaccine and the pandemic vaccine. Unfortunately, we've had such a rush for seasonal vaccine that most providers are not going to have anymore."

For this flu season, manufacturers made 3-% less of the seasonal flu vaccine compared to last year. Seasonal flu vaccine also slowed down to speed production of the H1N1 vaccine when those cases rose.

Hill says be patient and add the seasonal flu to your holiday shopping list.

"You're going to have to call your private provider or pharmacy or local health department and see if they have it in and that's about the only way you're going to be able to find it," he says.

Flu season is from November through April, and sometimes lasts into May. The Virginia Department of Health recommends receiving your vaccination from October through April.