Video Transcript:

GLORIA PENNER (Host): According to San Diego's top public health officer, H1N1 virus or swine flu is widespread throughout the county. One of the best ways to prevent getting and spreading swine flu is to receive the vaccine. But despite an unexpected shipment of 78,000 doses of the vaccine that arrived in San Diego last night, many are frustrated by a lack of availability of the vaccine. KPBS's Sharon Heilbrunn brings us this report.        

SHARON HEILBRUNN: It's official. The H1N1 virus isn't going away.

DR. WILMA WOOTEN (SD County Public Health Officer): So we now have widespread distribution of the virus. We've been in a pandemic mode since the eleventh of June. So the virus is here. It is throughout the community, it is widespread. And the best thing that people can do now that the vaccine is available to protect themselves, is to get vaccinated.

HEILBRUNN: But wait. It's not that easy. Initial predictions indicated that there would be as many as 120 million doses on hand by mid-October, but that number has been slashed recently to 45 million. And now, it's uncertain whether THAT target will even be hit.

WOOTEN: We do know the vaccine is in limited supply, and we know that people are frustrated because they may not be able to get it, but we ask people to be patient. The provider community will be getting over 300,000 doses in the coming weeks, and then every month we will get additional allocations that will be coming in phases. And over the next several months, everyone who wants a vaccine will be able to get one.

HEILBRUNN: The delay is mainly because the vaccination is grown in chicken eggs,
and it does not grow rapidly.

WOOTEN: It's a slow process. So, every week more and more vaccine is generated, but it's a very slow process. It's not something that can be done quickly.

HEILBRUNN: If you're trying to get a vaccination, start by practicing patience.

WOOTEN: This is not just a San Diego issue, this is a nationwide issue. Everyone has limited supplies right now. And there is one manufacturer that is sending it out. It requires that people be patient. We know that people want to get things right now, when they want it, but we really are asking people to be patient.

HEILBRUNN: Now, Dr. Wooten says to check with your health care provider to make sure he or she ordered the vaccine, and then see if you can sign up to get it. We want to know what you think about this issue. Log onto KPBS.org/sdweek and leave us a comment. For KPBS.org, I'm Sharon Heilbrunn.