European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 30, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 a the stars and stripes saturday november 30, 1991officials scrambling for flu vaccine Early Onset demand depleting supplies by the new York times the nation is on the verge of running out of influenza vaccine just As the flu season is off to one of its earliest starts experts said. The shortage is attributed to the flu a Early arrival and an unexpectedly heavy demand that developed after Federal health officials warned in october that the predominant flu virus this year would be unusually widespread and deadly. In Europe however a spokeswoman for the 7th medical come in Europe said she had not heard of any shortage in flu vaccines some local health officials said they still had adequate stocks of flu vaccine. But officials in other cities said that they had run out or were scrambling to get an additional Supply. Some officials said they were rationing their Stock offering flu shots Only to the elderly and people with heart and lung conditions and other chronic ailments who Are most Likely to suffer severe complications from the viral infection. The shortage has Arisen even though the four vaccine manufacturers had anticipated that this would be a bad flu season and had made extra vaccine. But the nature of the demand for flu vaccine is As notoriously unpredictable As the behaviour of the virus itself. The Federal centers for disease control in Atlanta estimates that production was sufficient for 30 million people this season although manufacturers refused to say How much vaccine they had made one company said it had raised its production by 40 percent. But the companies say they have sold All of this years Supply. Because the vaccine is prepared in eggs it takes a month to produce a new Batch. As a result even if the companies resumed production by the time the vaccine was made distributed to doctors injected into people and immunity was built up it might be too late in the Winter flu season for it to do much Good. Wyeth ayerst laboratories of Philadelphia a division of american Home products corp., which sold More than 10 million doses said late wednesday that it would make an additional 500,000 doses that would become available in january. But it was not Clear to what extent the additional doses would reduce the problem. Normally a new flu vaccine is prepared each year taking into account the new strains. Production shuts Down by the end of the summer. Vaccination usually begins in the Early fall. Federal officials had no data on How Many people have been vaccinated this year because no Agency monitors use of influenza vaccine. In fact officials of the food and drug administration said they were not aware of a shortage. A we have no Way of checking on the extent of the shortage and exactly where the shortages Are a said or. Walter Gunn an influenza expert at cd. Experts recommend flu shots for almost everyone but particularly for those Over 65 and those with chronic ailments. Even in Light flu years 10,000 americans die from complications of the infection. In major epidemics up to 70,000 die. In spot checks around the country health officials from Massachusetts Georgia and the District of Columbia said they were facing shortages of vaccine. Doctors and health officials in Minnesota Tennessee and Colorado said they still had enough on hand but Only because they had scrambled to maintain their stocks. In new York City a spokeswoman for the City a department of health said that its stocks were adequate. Or. John Brooks a specialist on infectious diseases for new jerseys health department said he had not heard of any shortages of flu vaccine in the state but would not necessarily know about them. Connecticut officials said they did not track vaccine  s attorney again files motion for new jury Pool West Palm Beach Fla. Up a the defense in the William Kennedy Smith rape trial has filed a last minute pretrial motion asking for a new jury Pool and a ban on television cameras in the courtroom a newspaper reported thursday. Defense attorney Roy Black said potential jurors have been intimidated by the presence of a television camera the Palm Beach Post reported. Four similar requests for removal of the camera and dismissal of the jury Pool have been rejected by Palm Beach county circuit judge Mary Lupo. A 37-Mcmber jury Pool was selected during a three week interview process that included 100 potential jurors. Attorneys Are scheduled to select a jury of six regular members and three alternates on monday. Opening statements in the highly publicized trial Are scheduled to begin at 1 30 . Monday and Lupo has said the trial will take two to three weeks to Complete. A 30-year-old Jupiter Fla., woman has accused the Nephew Olsen. Edward Kennedy d-mass., of raping her March 30 on the grounds of the Kennedy estate in Palm Beach. Smith 31, has pleaded innocent to one charge of felony sexual Battery Florida a equivalent to rape and one count of Misdemeanour Battery. If convicted he faces up to 15 years in prison. Black supported his request for a new jury and camera ban with instances that of cured during the jury Pool interviews. He said one jury Pool member fled courtroom proceedings. Robert Darr was later dismissed trom the Pool and faces contempt charges. Darr pleaded innocent and brought a psychologist to court who testified Darr suffered from a social  Lupo has since withheld the names of jury Pool members and allowed them to ask for private interviews. Vietnam vets give thanks dui dung Lefta Vietnam Veteran from South Vietnam serves a thanksgiving Day Turkey to american homeless Vietnam veterans Harry Gomes Center and Larry Manson at the new England shelter for Home less veterans. Eleven immigrants prepared a feast on thursday for about 175 homeless men at the Boston shelter. Organizers Hope the meal will help normalize relations Between the two groups of Vietnam  s rating plunges 27% in favored state Manchester . Up president Bush s Joh upper Oval rating in new Hampshire the state he credits with pumping life into his 1988 White House Campaign has declined by 27 percentage Points since March a Survey released Friday showed. Among the 1,130 registered voters questioned by Telephone in the Granite state from nov. 15 to nov. 22, 49 percent said they approved of How Bush is doing his Job 33 percent disapproved and 18 percent were undecided 1 he new Hampshire poll said. The new Hampshire poll has conducted Independent surveys of the states residents since 1978. Its latest Survey has a theoretical margin of error of plus or minus 2.9 percent. In March 1991, shortly after the United states and its allies forcibly removed Saddam Hussein s iraqi troops from Kuwait the Survey estimated Bush had a Job approval rating of 76 percent. Eleven percent disapproved of Bush a performance eight months ago and 13 percent were undecided. Quot in 1988, then vice president Bush s defeat of sen. Robert Dole r-kan., in the new Hampshire primary revived Bush s Campaign and gave him the momentum needed to capture the gop nomination. Bush who took new Hampshire gov. John h. Sununu to Washington As his chief of staff has often thanked new Hampshire for helping him win the White House. The new Hampshire poll found that 67 percent of those surveyed disapproved of How Bush is handling the nation s Economy 20 percent approved and 13 percent were undecided. Republicans voiced the greatest dismay Over Bush s economic policies with 73 percent of those registered with the gop expressing displeasure. A total of 67 percent of registered democrats surveyed disapproved of the presidents Job on fiscal issues. Echoing the theme candidate Ronald Reagan used to defeat president Carter in 1980, the poll found that 64 percent of registered voters in new Hampshire said they were not better off than they were four years ago 29 percent said they were and 7 percent were undecided. Among Likely voters in the Republican primary the Survey showed Bush leads potential opponent Pat Buchanan by 56 percent to 20 percent with 24 percent undecided. But among registered republicans the presidents Edge Over Buchanan Narrows 44 percent to 24 percent with 32 percent undecided. Buchanan the nationally syndicated columnist and television commentator whose anti government and hard line conservative themes Appeal to Many in the state has said he will reveal his presidential intentions Early next month