CDC concedes vaccine production behind schedule

WASHINGTON - A top-ranking official of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says production of a vaccine for swine flu virus is behind schedule and people should take precautionary steps to prevent its spread.

Dr. Anne Schuchat (SHU'-kit) said ``more vaccine is coming out every day'' but production isn't where it was expected to be at this juncture. Interviewed on CBS's ``The Early Show'' Wednesday, Schuchat said ``we wish we had more vaccine, but unfortunately the virus and the production of the vaccine aren't really cooperating.''

For people anxious about getting their vaccinations, she said officials expect ``widespread availability'' by mid-November. Schuchat heads the Atlanta-based CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases.