FLU SEASON

• Hospitals prepare for flu deluge • Clinics offering flu shots • Vaccine supply will be allocated • Flu 2004 section

"We want people to relax," Thompson said. "The flu season is not here."

Seniors around the country have been standing in lines at shopping plazas to get flu shots since news of a shortage surfaced this month. British regulators shut down shipments from Chiron Corp., which had made millions of flu shots for the U.S. market. The shutdown cut the U.S. supply of flu shots almost in half.

Thompson said the flu vaccine supply will be reallocated to parts of the country where it is needed most. Seniors and very young children are most at risk for severe complications from the flu.

"We are looking all over the regions to find out where there is a shortage, and we will redeploy the resources to make sure the seniors get the vaccine first," he said. He noted that 91 percent of flu deaths last year were people 65 or older.

Thompson advised people to first seek the shot from their doctor or a clinic. If that fails, they should contact the CDC in Atlanta, he said.

Dr. Julie Gerberding, director of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said on ABC's Good Morning America that 20 million doses would soon be available for seniors.

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Thompson said the number of manufacturers must be increased. For that to happen, Congress must remove liability for vaccine makers, and the government must commit to buying millions of doses every year.