Swine flu infections continue to wane, just as vaccine is becoming plentiful enough that some communities are allowing everyone to get it, not just those in priority groups. Swine flu was widespread in only 25 states last week, mostly in the Northeast and Southwest, officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday. In late October, 48 states were reporting widespread cases of swine flu. But since then, there"s been a decline across the country, and it appears that a fall wave of swine flu infections has peaked. Meanwhile, a shortage of swine flu vaccine is easing, with 73 million doses now available, roughly twice as much as there was a month ago. And another 10 million doses are expected in the next week, said Dr. Thomas Frieden, the CDC"s director. Demand for the vaccine is still high in many places, but enough has become available that some communities are now giving it to people outside the priority groups, Frieden said. "The number of communities that do that will increase in the coming weeks," he predicted, at a press conference in Atlanta. The swine flu pandemic has so far hit in two waves in the United States: First in the spring, then a larger wave that started in the late summer. Flu is hard to predict, and health officials said they are worried of the possibility of a third wave this winter. The CDC said a new round of public service announcements about getting vaccinated are to begin next week. --SPA
