WASHINGTON (AP) _ H1N1 flu vaccine starts arriving the first week of October, and it’ll be more than officials originally thought: between $6 million and $7 million.
That’s roughly double earlier predictions. Most will be the nasal spray version called FluMist.
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius says lots of flu shots will soon follow: About 40 million vaccine doses will arrive by mid-October, with between 10 million and 20 million more arriving each week.
The government wants people most at risk from H1N1 to be first in line. They include pregnant women, the young and people younger than 64 who have high-risk conditions such as asthma. One caution: FluMist is only for healthy people ages 2 to 49.
The vaccine itself will be free. However, some providers may charge a fee to administer it. But Sebelius says her office has been urging providers not to charge an administration fee.