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"We have had, up until now, many millions of cases of pandemic influenza in the US, and the numbers continue to increase," he added, lamenting the scarcity of influenza A(H1N1) vaccine.
At least 4,735 people have died from swine flu infections since April, when an outbreak of the new flu strain was first reported in Mexico before spreading quickly to the United States, according to the World Health Organization.
Earlier this week, Health Secretary Kathleen Sebelius confirmed that demand was outstripping supplies of the vaccine.
The shortfall was evident at a clinic in a Washington suburb on Wednesday, where several thousand people showed up in the hope of getting one of 200 injectable vaccines or 1,200 nasal spray doses.
Because of the vaccine shortage, the state of New York on Friday suspended a contentious requirement for health care workers to be inoculated against swine flu by the end of next month, or risk losing their jobs.
State Health Commissioner Richard Daines "has suspended the mandatory influenza immunization requirement for New York health care workers so that the limited vaccine supplies can be used for populations most at risk of serious illness and death," Governor David Paterson said in a statement.
The suspension was ordered because state officials had learned they would receive less than a quarter of the amount of vaccine they had been banking on distributing this month.
As of Friday, the CDC had 16.1 million doses of swine flu vaccine ready for shipping, and more than 11 million doses have been sent out to state health authorities, said Frieden.
Around half of those were nasal mist, which can only be administered to healthy people between the ages of two and 49, and excludes those individuals particularly at risk of infection -- pregnant women, people with chronic respiratory illness like asthma and very young children.
"We are nowhere near where we thought we'd be by now," said Frieden of the amount of vaccine available.
The shortfall was due in part to outdated vaccine production technology.
"The tools that we have available are not as modern as we would like or as rapid," said Frieden.
"Our planning anticipated a six- to nine-month period between emergence of a new virus and availability of vaccine against the virus. The six-month clock will be up at the end of October."
Vaccine is produced using seed stocks grown made from the virus, and "even if you yell at them, they don't grow faster," he added.
In contrast, over 60 million people have received the winter flu vaccine so far, much sooner than usual for the vaccine ordinarily administered later in the fall, said Frieden.
The trend likely owes to a surge of concern over the influenza A(H1N1) pandemic, but also to supply, with 85 million doses of seasonal influenza vaccine already available. In most years, about 100 million doses of the vaccine are used.
As Americans waited for more shipments of A(H1N1) vaccine, 46 of the 50 states were reporting widespread swine flu activity.
That uptick usually does not take place until the height of flu season, which in an ordinary year comes in January or February, Frieden said.
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At least 4,735 people have died from swine flu infections since April, when an outbreak of the new flu strain was first reported in Mexico before spreading quickly to the United States, according to the World Health Organization.
Earlier this week, Health Secretary Kathleen Sebelius confirmed that demand was outstripping supplies of the vaccine.
The shortfall was evident at a clinic in a Washington suburb on Wednesday, where several thousand people showed up in the hope of getting one of 200 injectable vaccines or 1,200 nasal spray doses.
Because of the vaccine shortage, the state of New York on Friday suspended a contentious requirement for health care workers to be inoculated against swine flu by the end of next month, or risk losing their jobs.
State Health Commissioner Richard Daines "has suspended the mandatory influenza immunization requirement for New York health care workers so that the limited vaccine supplies can be used for populations most at risk of serious illness and death," Governor David Paterson said in a statement.
The suspension was ordered because state officials had learned they would receive less than a quarter of the amount of vaccine they had been banking on distributing this month.
As of Friday, the CDC had 16.1 million doses of swine flu vaccine ready for shipping, and more than 11 million doses have been sent out to state health authorities, said Frieden.
Around half of those were nasal mist, which can only be administered to healthy people between the ages of two and 49, and excludes those individuals particularly at risk of infection -- pregnant women, people with chronic respiratory illness like asthma and very young children.
"We are nowhere near where we thought we'd be by now," said Frieden of the amount of vaccine available.
The shortfall was due in part to outdated vaccine production technology.
"The tools that we have available are not as modern as we would like or as rapid," said Frieden.
"Our planning anticipated a six- to nine-month period between emergence of a new virus and availability of vaccine against the virus. The six-month clock will be up at the end of October."
Vaccine is produced using seed stocks grown made from the virus, and "even if you yell at them, they don't grow faster," he added.
In contrast, over 60 million people have received the winter flu vaccine so far, much sooner than usual for the vaccine ordinarily administered later in the fall, said Frieden.
The trend likely owes to a surge of concern over the influenza A(H1N1) pandemic, but also to supply, with 85 million doses of seasonal influenza vaccine already available. In most years, about 100 million doses of the vaccine are used.
As Americans waited for more shipments of A(H1N1) vaccine, 46 of the 50 states were reporting widespread swine flu activity.
That uptick usually does not take place until the height of flu season, which in an ordinary year comes in January or February, Frieden said.
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