Jack Bond’s hospital pharmacy needed 2,800 flu shots, but his supplier couldn’t provide them. Plenty of other distributors were ready to meet his needs, though — for a price: as much as $600 for a vial of 10 flu shots that normally costs around $80.

With no other choices, officials at Wesley Medical Center in Wichita, Kan., thought about paying that price “as a last resort,” said Bond, the hospital’s pharmacy director.

Fortunately, other health providers in the area came to the rescue, sharing their supplies.

Around the country, health officials say some suppliers are trying to cash in on the flu shot shortage.