HSE rejects claims for lack of influenza vaccine

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The Health Service Executive has rejected newspaper reports that hundreds of thousands of doses of the flu vaccine have been missed.

The executive’s clinical director said 50,000 doses were withheld to ensure they are distributed to the areas most in need.

Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Dr Colm Henry said that this year there have been unprecedented levels of demand for the vaccine and that 1.3 million doses have already been distributed, a 20% increase over the same period of the year. last year and the most HSE has distributed. .

He said the HSE typically withholds a certain amount of the vaccine to determine where the gaps and priority areas are across the country and where the vaccine should be delivered.

In a letter Monday, the HSE said the fifth and final cycle of deliveries would stop until it could be determined.

He urged GPs and pharmacists to claim payment for the doses already administered to maximize the benefit of the remaining stock.

Dr. Henry said the HSE has received records about the administration of more than 700,000 vaccines, and it is normal for there to be a delay between the distribution of the vaccine and the return of the records.

He also said it was too early to say that it was a mistake not to deliver the flu vaccine to children in schools and that uptake so far is encouraging.



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