Flu vaccination clinics were temporarily suspended on Kansas University’s Lawrence campus Tuesday because its vaccine supply had been depleted.

The cause: irregular shipments of the vaccine, KU health officials said.

“There are sufficient supplies, unlike the shortage Americans faced last year. However, this year the distribution of vaccine from manufacturers has been irregular,” Dr. Patricia Denning, chief of staff for health services, said in a statement.

Student Health Services had received about 60 percent, or 1,170 doses, of its order before the clinics began Oct. 25. All of those doses were distributed to high-risk individuals. Officials hope to have the rest of the order in two weeks.

The Douglas County Health Department has not had a problem this year with supplies of the vaccine, officials there said. But the Kansas Department of Health and Environment is aware of the shipment problems some clinics might be having, spokeswoman Sharon Watson said.

Frequent exercise keeps the body healthy and better able to fight off illness. Kansas University junior Jeff Lehman, Eden Prairie, Minn., works out Tuesday.

“We have not received any word from manufacturing companies or from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) indicating there is any particular problem,” Watson said. “Most vaccines will be shipped in November and some in December.”

There are four companies producing the flu vaccine and the only company having a problem is the British firm Chiron, Watson said. Chiron is the firm that has had production difficulties in past years that led to vaccine shortages.

Even without Chiron, there will be 70 million doses of the vaccine going out in the United States, Watson said. That has been sufficient to meet national needs in the past, she said.

A healthy diet is one of the most effective means of staving off sickness. Andrea MacKinnon, Lawrence, shops for fruit Tuesday with her 5-month-old daughter, Audrey, at the Merc.

“Chiron is the only company that has indicated they have had some problems producing the amount they had predicted,” Watson said.

Chiron originally had planned to produce 18 million to 27 million doses of vaccine, but now it is not saying what its production will be, Watson said.

The irregular vaccine shipments and Chiron’s problems surface as President Bush and national political and health leaders are expressing concern about being prepared for a future pandemic of avian, or bird, flu.

In Illinois, a state representative has introduced a bill that would mandate that all students wash their hands at school before eating lunch.

Douglas County health officials encourage school nurses and teachers to emphasize hand-washing to students, said Kim Ens, disease control program coordinator for the health department.

“The teachers know; it’s just so busy,” Ens said. “It’s kind of hard to monitor (hand-washing), but I think it’s a great idea to give them time to wash their hands before they eat.”

Washing hands significantly decreases your chance of both contracting and spreading germs. Other health tips including getting plenty of sleep and avoiding tobacco smoke.

If the bird flu strikes humans, it might be necessary to become more prudent about hand-washing, Ens said.

So far this fall, there have been no official reports of the regular flu strain in Kansas, Watson said. Although flu isn’t an illness that the state requires be reported, there are 20 locations across the state that voluntarily will report flu cases to KDHE, Watson said.

Still, as is the case every winter – whether it’s the flu or other viruses – there is always something that will strike sometime that will make people sick, health experts said.

KU’s Wellness Resource Center urges students to get regular exercise, eat a balanced diet and get six to eight hours of sleep to maintain a strong immune system, said Melissa Smith, manager of the center at Watkins Student Health Center. Also suggested is washing hands and avoiding smoke or smoky environments.

Upper respiratory and gastrointestinal problems are common in the winter, Smith said. Eating the right foods and proper food handling also is encouraged, she said.

“For students, in their defense, it’s really difficult toward finals time to keep up with sleep and exercise,” Smith said. “But if you do these things, you will be more focused and productive.”

What is good for college students also is good for everyone else, she said.

• 6News video: Shipment delay causes vaccine clinic suspension
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• Bird flu found in dozens of wild Canadian ducks (11-01-05)
• WHO: Bird flu will spread to other countries (10-18-05)
• Americans flock to health agencies with questions (10-17-05)
• KDHE releases flu plan
• Federal Centers for Disease Control flu information