(by Geck Finn)

Flu shots in the U.S. will be limited ahead of the flu-hot season as British regulators shut down a plant operated by one of the two major suppliers. That will definitely cause vaccines market decline this quarter.

The U.S. is not the only place to suffer from the rationing as most European and Asian countries are also expected to lack flu vaccines.

"It’s something that will certainly have consequences in the global market for vaccines," said Klaus Stohr, an influenza expert at the World Health Organization. "It’s yet to be seen whether other companies can step in to make up the shortfall.”

Surveys show that millions of people lack vaccines every year, but that doesn’t mean they suffer influenza or even die from it.

Specialists try to comfort shocked Americans. "Take a deep breath; this is not an emergency. We will work through this as we have with other shortages in the past," said Julie Gerberding, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.

Now the U.S health officials say they have only 54 million doses from Chiron with the average demand of 185 million.