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The race to the pharmacies for flu vaccination, which begins in these places on October 19, has been notorious from north to south of the country, with lists of hundreds of people who previously scheduled their vaccination. However, the shortage of vaccines ordered from pharmacies has prompted complaints from pharmacists. Comments such as “some pharmacies receive between 1 and 5 vaccines” or “value added or receive” can be read on social networks.
The first phase of the vaccination campaign began about two weeks ago, on September 28, for priority groups – the elderly in homes, healthcare professionals and pregnant women – with 350,000 vaccines available. And the second phase starts this Monday, with the National Health Service (SNS) guaranteeing free vaccines. As in previous years, people over 65 have free access to the vaccine, as well as the chronically ill and home users. Health professionals, firefighters, prison guards and prisoners are also included in the vaccination without any payment.
The Covid-19, however, has created many fears and complications, especially in the elderly, who, due to the contagion of the new coronavirus, avoid health centers and choose to reserve vaccines in pharmacies, or otherwise do not receive any response. from them. Health centers. For SOL, the pharmacist Isabel Rodrigues, from the municipality of Felgueiras, admitted, however, that what has been reaching the pharmacies is not enough at all.
“We ordered a total of 250 vaccines, 150 from one provider and 100 from another. One of the providers sent us 41 and the other will send us 12. And they still say that in the second half of November they make a shipment the same as this first one ”, he began by saying, also highlighting the“ abnormal demand ”for vaccines this year in pharmacies . “Right now I have a reserve list of about 170 vaccines. Some of them are for people who have the right to receive them for free at the health center, but who, due to their lack of response, prefer to take them to the pharmacy. We are talking about a small environment with a predominantly elderly population that does not find it easy to go to the health center again and again until the vaccine is administered, “said the pharmacist, guaranteeing that it is” complicated “for professionals to explain to users “that there will be vaccines for them.”
Isabel Rodrigues goes further and emphasizes that the shortage of vaccines in pharmacies is also related to the delivery made by companies. “Another problem of the lack of vaccines is related to their origin. Last year, pharmacies received Mylan (Influvac) and Sanofi (Vaxigrip tetra) vaccines. This year, Sanofi did not sell to pharmacies, only to health centers, so the amounts that arrive at pharmacies, in total, are lower, because the vaccines of the other company are missing ”, he revealed.
The lack of flu vaccines also occurs in pharmacies in the capital. In the center of Lisbon, SOL knows that there are pharmacies that received less than 25% of the reservations made, falling far short of what is necessary to satisfy the needs of users.
Less 100 thousand vaccines
Questioned by SOL, the secretary general of the National Association of Pharmacies, Nuno Flora, clarified that the number of vaccines available to pharmacies is 500 thousand, 100 thousand less than last year.
“Demand has increased, we are sorry. But normally the delivery is made in installments. The first was delivered between Thursday and Friday, arriving on Monday, and the second section begins in early November, “he said, denying the lack of vaccines in pharmacies.
Luís Cunha, technical director of a pharmacy in Lisbon, warns, however, that this situation may further aggravate the response to this winter’s pandemic. At SOL, he is very concerned about how the entire vaccination process is managed.
«The State has accumulated almost all the vaccines and the pharmacies are receiving 20% of the order. Every year pharmacies vaccinate people from high-risk groups, who in this way can be excluded, “warns the pharmacist, explaining that even for fear of going to the health center or difficulties in the services overloaded with the management of covid cases -19, the low number of vaccines distributed to pharmacies may compromise vaccination coverage in the year in which it was most important to reinforce: “We have had a positive evolution every year, we have gone from lowering coverage in the year in which more was needed to reinforce “.
Of the 400 vaccines ordered, they received 90. On the waiting list since August, there are 300 people in this pharmacy alone, most of them elderly and people with chronic diseases, explains Luís Cunha. The pharmacist denounces that some health centers are establishing protocols with the parish councils so that the vaccine is administered outside the health establishments and that there are plans to recruit nursing students and other volunteers to carry out these acts.
«What are the procedures in case a person suffers an anaphylactic shock? Where does the adrenaline go if it’s necessary? Who controls the storage temperature of the vaccines? Are we in Rwanda? “, Question.
Another criticism is directed at the General Directorate of Health, which asked pharmacies to collaborate to vaccinate priority groups that began receiving the vaccine two weeks ago, such as the elderly and health professionals: “It was said that the vaccines would be sent to be administered free of charge and they did not arrive ».
The head of the Order of Nurses, Ana Rita Cavaco, for her part, declined to comment.
The Ministry of Health stressed to SOL that it is not aware of any delays, “because the second phase of vaccination will take place from Monday and the vaccines arrive in sections, that is, they do not all arrive on the first day.”
