Police searching for woman who sold flu shots at college, then disappeared

Friday, December 3rd 2004, 7:55 pm

By: News On 6

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) _ Police were searching for a woman who sold what she said were flu shots to more than two dozen people at a college, then fled when asked for information about her credentials.

State health officials said they didn't know what was in the shots, but no one had reported any ill effects as of Friday. The shots were given on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at Augsburg College in Minneapolis.

``It is possible that it was flu vaccine, and it's also possible that it was saline. But we don't know,'' said Doug Schultz, a spokesman for the state Health Department.

The college said in a statement that the woman claimed to be with the American Heart Association and was wearing green scrubs and a white lab coat. She left campus when asked for more information about her credentials, the school said.

The American Heart Association told the school the woman was not affiliated with the organization.

The college has asked anyone who received a shot from the woman to contact campus security and their own physician. School officials did not immediately return a call seeking additional comment Friday.

The United States has suffered a flu vaccine shortage since British health officials shut down a Liverpool plant operated by shot-maker Chiron Corp. in October, canceling a shipment of 48 million doses. Chiron is one of the nation's two suppliers.