ORLANDO, Fla. – The federal government is making its emergency stockpile of 3 million flu vaccines available to doctors nationwide in a new effort announced Thursday to immunize more people.

The willingness to dip into the stockpile – set aside in case a major outbreak occurred – suggests the government feels the danger has passed. But federal officials stressed Thursday that this year’s relatively mild flu season still could intensify.

Influenza cases often peak in February.

“Flu is unpredictable, and we don’t think it’s the peak of the season yet,” said Dr. Jeanne Santoli, associate director for science and immunization at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “There are a number of people who have not been vaccinated yet. It’s not too late to protect them.”

Starting immediately, doctors may order doses directly from the vaccine’s manufacturer at no financial risk. If the doctors don’t use the shots, they can return them to the company and get their money back.

The government also will allow states to use doses from a children’s vaccination program for anyone who still needs a shot, said Dr. Julie Gerberding, CDC director.

“The CDC’s broad goal in all of this is to make the best use of the vaccine doses that we have left,” Gerberding said.

The new measures make 3.1 million doses from the stockpile available and another 1.3 million from the children’s program for a total of 4.4 additional shots nationwide. About 58 million doses already have been distributed across the country.

Doctors who order from the company will pay $8.12, $10.50 or $10.76 per dose – depending on the way the vaccine is packaged, said Len Lavenda, spokesman for Sanofi Pasteur (formerly called Aventis Pasteur), which makes the vaccines.

It’s not clear how many doctors will take advantage of the offer and snap up doses for their patients.

This year’s problems started in October when a major U.S. supplier, Chiron Corp., was shut down unexpectedly because of contamination problems at the company’s British facility. About 50 million doses made for the United States were deemed unsafe to use.

Gerberding said the United States might be in the same predicament next flu season, because Chiron may not be able to resolve its problems in time to produce vaccines for the coming season. She said the CDC already is preparing for that possibility, and the U.S. government also is looking for additional sources of vaccines.