Family doctors complain of flu vaccine delays for vulnerable patients

Family doctors have called for more information on when they will be able to vaccinate their vulnerable patients.

The Association of Private Family Doctors (APFD) has noted a “patchy supply” in which the yearly influenza vaccination was taking place, calling out the “uncharacteristic way” in which patients with chronic diseases who booked their year influenza vaccination with their private family doctors have been treated.

They said that at the end of every summer, the health department invites private family doctors to offer the free influenza vaccine to patients with chronic diseases, including patients restricted to their home and who would otherwise not get the vaccine.

Although the list was delivered to the health department in September, the booked vaccines were not yet provided, the APFD said.

They said that both the October and the November vaccinations programmes, patients with chronic diseases who were encouraged to book the influenza vaccine in the same way they have done previous years, were left out. 

On Wednesday Health Minister Chris Fearne announced that the next batch of influenza vaccines was expected to arrive that evening.

Fearne said that the free influenza vaccine service would resume from Sunday. However, for the first week, from 29 November to 2 December the vaccine will be available for persons over 55 and those with chronic illnesses. After which, the vaccine will be available to everyone.

This batch of vaccines had to be available on 1 November for free distribution at government health centres, however, there was an unexplained delay.