Concerns about ‘significant delay’ in delivery of influenza vaccine from HSE supplier

THERE IS CONCERN about delays in flu vaccine deliveries as GPs and pharmacies attempt to provide the vaccine to vulnerable groups in the community before winter.

HSE Clinical Director Dr. Colm Henry confirmed today that the pharmaceutical company notified HSE that the latest vaccine delivery will be delayed. He said that despite “timing problems” with this third batch, HSE remains on target to deliver 1.4 million vaccines this year.

He said the HSE is beefing up the message to primary care providers and pharmacies this week to withhold vaccines for those in priority groups.

The Irish Pharmacy Union (UIP) has said it shares the public’s frustration at the “significant delays” but urged people to “be patient with pharmacies as they handle inquiries about the availability” of the vaccine.

“We recognize that this is a challenging environment for the HSE to operate,” IPU Secretary General Darragh O’Loughlin said today.

“There are global supply issues that are well publicized, and we know from our pharmacy colleagues abroad that these issues are having an impact across Europe and beyond. Unfortunately, it is not yet clear when or if these supply issues will be fully resolved.

This year there has been a huge increase in flu vaccination requests, which is encouraging, except that many pharmacies and GPs cannot get enough vaccinations. The fact that we cannot tell patients exactly when we will have vaccines available is creating a great deal of uncertainty and frustration as people are fed up with having their appointments rescheduled or canceled due to vaccine shortages.

O’Loughlin said this has the potential to undermine this year’s vaccination program.

“It is disheartening to everyone involved that the ongoing vaccine shortage is hampering service and information remains elusive.”

Dr Nuala O’Connor, Cork GP and Covid Leader of the Irish Council of General Practitioners (ICGP), said TheJournal.ie While many people may want to be vaccinated this year, GPs will have to prioritize those from vulnerable groups.

“Stocks have not entered the country and that is no one’s fault, the HSE was disappointed by its supply chain. We’d love to give him as much as we can as quickly as possible, but we have to wait until we get him in surgery, ”he said.

“What happens is that many people would like to achieve it, but we have to prioritize people in risk groups, all people over 65, people in nursing homes, people with chronic diseases and health workers. We need to prioritize them first and hopefully if we can access more later on, other people outside of that could get it. “

He said the nasal flu vaccination that has been implemented for children between the ages of two and 12 will be vital this year.

“It is an incredibly important public health measure because we know that, unlike Covid, children are vectors of flu transmission. If we can successfully vaccinate them, we will protect the most vulnerable people. “