Sorry Patricia, I don't buy your premise.  I was around when Polio was rampant but never assumed I had a natural immunity to that.

It's just the principal of the thing.  Even at my age I pay plenty of taxes.  The same and maybe even more than some younger pay. There is no good reason why this country cannot manafacture enough of any kind of vaccine to properly serve its citizens.  Ridiculous.  We sure manage all kinds of medical assistance to the rest of the world.

Evening Bev,  I hear the majority of this H1N1 Vaccine is coming from France.  A smaller amount is created here.

I'm more than grateful that this type of thing didn't go on with the Small Pox vaccine.  Or the Salk & Sabin.  Or Typhoid and Dyptheria.  No problem back in the Dark Ages(G)... These were plentiful and available to all.  Makes me wonder what has happened to change all that.

Pearlie,

The influenza virus does not stay the same.  It is always changing.  Every year the scientists try to determine in advance which type will be prevalent and the companies make a vaccine for that type.  They are not always correct.  Thus, the vaccine needed one year can be very different from that needed the next.  You can read how the virus changes here.

You can read about the reasons for the shortage of H1N1 vaccine here.

It seems that most people getting this virus are young people: children in schools.  As Patricia said most of us have an immunity to it.  I do think it's important that hospital professionals, particularly those in ICUs and emergency departments, be immunized to prevent spreading it to those with immune systems that are weakened.