The Utah County Health Department ran out of flu vaccine Wednesday afternoon, citing a slow-moving supply instead of a shortage as the reason.

The bigger concern, spokesman Lance Madigan said, is no one is sure when the rest of the shipment will be coming; as of Wednesday 5,410 doses had been administered by the health department.

"We are hearing different reports," he said. "Everything from tomorrow to the middle of November to the first of December, so we're kind of waiting day by day."

The influenza season, usually associated with the onset of cold weather, hasn't officially begun; no active increase in flu activity has been noted and probably won't be until mid- to late November or early December. So if the rest of the health department's order comes in tomorrow, no worries.

Until it arrives, Madigan said, they're waiting, much like past years.

"It's always something kind of different," he said.

Manufacturers have sent out about 20 million doses nationwide, he said, but he had heard of some difficulties related to one of the flu strains against which the vaccine protected, which caused the late-coming shipments.

Utah Department of Health spokesman Cody Craynor said county health departments statewide were in a similar predicament, although state officials are anticipating full shipments coming. He recommended people call their health care providers before going in for a shot to make sure the provider had vaccine.

"We do know that there's a variety of different providers that are running low, and it's just because they haven't received the full shipment that they ordered," he said.

Flu shots are still effective until the end of flu season, so anyone who hasn't gotten one yet isn't out of luck, officials said. Madigan said people had three options; they can wait and keep checking with the health department, they can check with the state's flu locator program to see where else they can get a flu shot, or they can call their health care provider.

Both Madigan and Craynor encouraged everyone to get a flu shot, even if they waited until December or early next year, instead of waiting until a friend, family member of co-worker gets the flu.

"It's OK for people to get flu shots a little later in the season," Craynor said.

Timpanogos Regional Hospital in Orem is offering a $15 drive-through flu shot clinic from 9 a.m. to noon Friday; hospital spokeswoman Jacque Brown said there is enough vaccine for the expected demand. Utah Valley Regional Medical Center offers vaccines to employees and patients who are admitted to the hospital, said Intermountain Healthcare spokeswoman Janet Frank, but the hospital doesn't have a clinic for the public. The physician clinics and InstaCare clinics offer the vaccine to the public and should still have doses available, she said.

Heidi Toth can be reached at 344-2543 or htoth@heraldextra.com.

This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page B1.