Maine CDC head Dr. Dora Mills says she's trying to shift available supplies of the vaccine to those most vulnerable -- the elderly.

Maine is experiencing a shortage of vaccine not only for the swine flu but for seasonal flu as well. Maine Center for Disease Control Director Dr. Dora Mills is trying to shift available supplies of the seasonal vaccine to the most vulnerable group, seniors, especially those in nursing homes.

So far, there are no reported cases of seasonal flu in Maine, but when it strikes, it tends to hit the elderly the hardest -- ninety percent of those who die nationally from the disease are over the age of 65, according to Capitol News Service. Mills says Maine is no better off than other states when it comes to available doses of the seasonal flu vaccine.

"Maine is experiencing a seasonal flu vaccine shortage, as is the rest of the country," Mills says. "My understanding is that part of the reason is because of the fact that the pharmaceutical manufacturers did go off-line from producing seasonal flu vaccine in order to produce H1N1 influenza vaccine."

Mills says the state is better prepared than many states when it comes to supplies of anti-viral medications, such as Tamiflu, which can lessen the severity and duration of the illness.

Mills says this isn't the first time the state has experienced a shortage of seasonal flu vaccine -- she says supplies have come up short in three of the past five years.