Some GP practices in England have experienced a delay in the delivery of flu vaccines because of an ‘unexpected issue with a delivery partner’, the supplier has said.
GP practices have been notified that their flu vaccine delivery has been delayed and have been reassured by vaccine manufacturer Seqirus that supplies are on their way.
The company told Pulse on Friday that some orders had been delayed, amid ‘high demand’ from practices.
The spokesperson said: ‘We are experiencing high demand for influenza vaccines across all markets and taking all possible steps to optimise supply. We remain committed to working together with our healthcare partners to ensure that GP practices and pharmacies receive their ordered vaccines.
‘This week, a small number of orders have been delayed due to an unexpected issue with our delivery partner. Our Customer Service team have notified all affected customers of new delivery dates. Orders will be back on track early next week.’
‘To date, Seqirus has been on track to deliver extra doses in the UK to meet the unprecedented demand this winter.’
In July, Pulse exclusively reported that Sanofi – which supplies vaccines for under 65s and at-risk groups – said it would not deliver 30% of the stock ordered by pharmacies and surgeries until the week commencing 9 November.
Meanwhile, there have been concerns that manufacturers, may not be able to meet all the increased demand for flu vaccines this year, during an unprecedented demand for the vaccine worldwide.
Countries around the world have increased orders of flu vaccines, in fear that a second wave of Covid-19 and widespread flu in co-circulation could overburden health services this winter.
This comes as the Government announced the expanded cohort for the flu programme this year, which is set to target 30 million patients – including all those over 50, shielded patients and their households and all school year groups up to Year 7.
