LEWISTON – With the onset of flu season nearing, local medical center officials were taking steps late Tuesday afternoon to deal with a likely vaccine shortfall.

“We have some on hand and more on order,” said Chuck Gill, a vice president and spokesman for Central Maine Medical Center.

A crisis emerged earlier Tuesday after Chiron Corp., which makes nearly half of the United States’ supply, said it wouldn’t be able to provide any vaccine this year. Health officials in Britain suspended the company’s license, halting manufacture of the vaccine in labs there.

People here shouldn’t panic, said Dr. Ralph Harder, a pulmonary and critical care specialist on St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center staff. Harder, who has an office in Auburn, said other makers of flu vaccines will be encouraged to step up their manufacturing efforts to help fill the gap.

However, given the time of year, Gill said of the other labs making vaccine, “There’s no way they can make up the difference.”

Gill said CMMC is waiting for an order from Aventis Pasteur, which it can produce 52 million doses of vaccine. However, it also said it was at production capacity and couldn’t offer more until November, after its backlog of existing orders is filled.

A third vaccine provider, MedImmune, makes FluMist, a nasal spray flu vaccine for use in healthy 5- to 49-year-olds. It also said it couldn’t produce more than the 1.5 million doses it planned on for this season.

On Tuesday, California-based Chiron saw British authorities suspend its license for three months due to contamination problems.

Dr. Walt Orenstein, formerly the top flu expert at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and now with the Emory Vaccine Center in Atlanta, said the government may have to ration available supplies during this flu season.

“It’s a very serious concern,” he said. “We’re already in October, which is vaccine season. If we have to ration at this stage, it becomes more complicated.”

Until more vaccine becomes available, Harder said health professionals will follow a triage program designed to get the limited supplies of vaccine to those who are most vulnerable to the flu.

Harder also said he expects that the CDC will issue updated guidelines for doctors to follow in dispensing vaccine.

People at risk

Those most at risk – and most needing the vaccine – include people over 65, people with chronic pulmonary or heart conditions, women who may be pregnant during flu season, children 6 months to 18 years on long-term aspirin therapy, and adults who provide care for sick people.

Harder said St. Mary’s, like CMMC, has some vaccine on hand and more on order. St. Mary’s officials “were scrambling” Tuesday afternoon trying to secure additional supplies, he said.

Harder said he anticipates physicians’ being able to fill most patient requests for the vaccine, and thinks that St. Mary’s will continue to offer some clinics. Gill said CMMC will also hold its traditional clinics.

Gill said CMMC also is telling doctors on its medical staff to continue scheduling appointments with patients for flu shots, but to take CDC triage recommendations into account when doing so.

Harder said typically he’d expect patients to begin receiving flu shots in two to three weeks. The vaccine needs at least two weeks to become effective against flu.

In Maine, he added, the flu season generally runs from December through February, but with the growing mobility of the population, flu season seems to be starting earlier.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.