The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) on Tuesday announced that the federal government has designated 50,000 additional doses of flu vaccine to be disseminated across the state—10,000 of which are earmarked for health centers that serve low-income individuals. The ODH purchased a total of 240,000 doses this year, a 55,000-dose drop from three years ago according to reports. The state pays about $10 per dose, which is more than three times the cost it was a few years ago, but it has not increased spending for vaccines in that time. Some 3,000 Ohioans die every year from flu and pneumonia complications. Last week the CDC promised additional vaccine distributions in areas where supplies have been stalled while demand is increasing as flu season is fully underway in the months of November/December.