The arrival of flu season means students can use all the help they can get to stay healthy - but that help may be delayed.

Vaccinations are usually distributed in late October, but people may have to wait until as late as December to receive a dose because shipments of the vaccine have been held up.

Judy Williams, disease control supervisor for the Ingham County Health Department, said the county has not received any shipments of the vaccine and is not expecting any until the end of October.

The delay was caused by an initial shortage of the vaccine. Of the four main producers of the flu vaccine, one had problems with production and could not release vaccines to the public.

This left a large gap in the number of doses that would be supplied to the public.

Anticipating a shortage, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ordered the other three producers of the vaccine to make more doses.

Williams said producers were having problems making this year’s vaccine because it had to fight a new strain of bacteria. She said the strains the shot vaccinates against vary from year to year.

“Every year they produce a vaccine based on what has happened in the Southern Hemisphere,” she said. “They look at the deadliest strains and then turn around and produce a vaccine for the Northern Hemisphere with that information.”

Because of the delay, the Ingham County Health Department has issued guidelines for who should receive the vaccination when it becomes available.

Officials suggest that high-risk individuals receive the flu vaccination first, and others receive it as it becomes available.

High risk individuals include those who are 65 or older, residents of nursing homes and other chronic-care facilities and those who care for them, adults and children with respiratory or heart diseases, those with weakened immune systems and women who are more than three months pregnant.

Dr. Beth Alexander, university physician, said students should get the vaccination when it becomes available.

“I would recommend students get the vaccine because it would help keep them in classes and doing what they want to be doing.

“You can help prevent the spread of it in the community by not getting it yourself.”

Some students, like packaging sophomore Garron Jackson, see the benefit of getting the flu shot. He has gotten them in the past and plans on getting one this year.

“Personally, I think it’s a good idea to get vaccinated because getting sick up here at school is the worst thing that could happen to anybody,” the packaging sophomore said. “Your mom’s not here to take care of you, you’re on your own.”