There could be a gap over this year’s flu shot. FHI is now halting sales to municipalities.

The Norwegian Institute of Public Health did not buy enough vaccines for the fall and winter seasonal flu. Healthy people may be asked not to get vaccinated.

The Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH) has purchased 1.2 million doses of seasonal flu vaccine. That’s 400,000 more doses than last year.

However, this is not enough if all at-risk patients choose to be vaccinated. A total of 1.6 million Norwegians are in risk groups.

The vaccine is administered, among other things, by the general practitioner, who orders it through the municipality. The municipality buys back from FHI.

FHI is now halting sales to municipalities to ensure the oldest are protected first.

Special vaccine for the elderly

This year, 100,000 doses of the Fluad vaccine, which protects the elderly, were also ordered. This is a more powerful vaccine.

The problem is that this special vaccine has not reached Norway. It is not expected until November.

Therefore, FHI has temporarily stopped the request of the ordinary vaccine by the municipalities.

The reason is that they then maintain central control and can ensure that the older ones receive one of the two types of vaccine.

There has been a great global demand for vaccines. And it has not been possible to get more doses for Norway, says FHI.

The sale of influenza vaccine to the private market (occupational health service, pharmacy) stopped on August 28. No more doses will be available for the private market from FHI.

Pharmacies can provide 300,000 doses

The Pharmacists Association believes that pharmacies will receive approx. 300,000 doses of vaccine. This is stated by the communications manager Jostein Soldal.

This is in addition to what FHI ordered.

FHI Senior Advisor Kjersti Rydland confirms that pharmacies can order the vaccine through their own wholesalers, who in turn purchase from manufacturers.

Occupational health services can be purchased at pharmacies.

Consider asking healthy people not to get vaccinated

– Is FHI considering giving advice that people who are not in risk groups should not take the vaccine because they already lack 400,000 doses to cover risk groups?

– We get a lot of questions about this. We are now working to advise the rest of the population and will communicate this soon, says Rydland at FHI.

She says that people who are not in risk groups have a lower risk of getting a serious flu. The vaccine is not particularly effective if you want to avoid respiratory symptoms during the winter because the flu only accounts for a small proportion of the total number of respiratory infections.

– What should the 1.6 million Norwegians in risk groups do now?

– People in risk groups should consult their GP or consult the municipality’s information on vaccination this fall. The vaccine for risk groups will not ship from the National Institute of Public Health until 40–43 weeks, Rydland responds.

The vaccine does not protect against covid-19.