SHORTAGES in the supply of flu vaccinations are an unfortunate yet unavoidable consequence of the Covid-19 crisis, according to a local pharmacist.
The Advertiser was contacted by Conservative west of Scotland MSP, and Helensburgh resident, Maurice Corry, who raised concerns over supply shortages at the Scottish Parliament.
During First Minister’s Questions on Thursday, November 26, Mr Corry challenged Nicola Sturgeon to ensure that a solution was found promptly, and to guarantee that there would be enough stock to meet demand in Helensburgh and Lomond.
Mr Corry said: “Constituents remain seriously concerned about not being able to get their flu jab and the SNP must act on this as a matter of urgency.
READ MORE: Coronavirus vaccine - who will get it, when and how?
“This year, getting the flu jab is arguably more vital than ever and we should not at this stage be seeing pharmacies still struggling to access supplies.
“It is completely unacceptable and worried residents in Helensburgh and Lomond who have contacted me deserve better.”
However, one local pharmacy worker, who the Advertiser has agreed not to name, said that unprecedented levels of demand have led to inevitable delays in its provision.
The pharmacist said: “With concerns over Covid people don’t want to be worrying about winter flu as well.
“Health boards and manufacturing companies assess how many vaccines they will need for the upcoming season - the problem is that that happens in February.
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“So, manufacturers already had numbers for the amount of vaccinations they needed before the pandemic. They weren’t able to respond quickly enough.
“When the flu vaccinations were released on the market they were absorbed so fast that it was difficult to get them out to everyone who needed them.
“In any other given year people would be quite happy to trickle in over a couple of months to receive their flu jab. This year everyone wanted it on day one.”
Ahead of Covid vaccinations being rolled out - starting this week in Scotland - problems with winter flu jab provision have raised fresh concerns over the efficiency of vaccination programmes in general.
READ MORE: 'We were scared of catastrophic Covid impact' - GP reveals early pandemic fears
The local pharmacist said: “On one hand, in my eyes, there was very little that could have been done to avoid this situation.
“On the other hand, I am asking: ‘Is this something that we need to be really learning from going forward?’
“We should be able to get a hold of vaccines but I understand, being a private service, we aren’t looking to vaccinate the really vulnerable members of society who are prioritised through the NHS.
“It all makes sense but I can understand where the frustration is coming from.”
Answering Mr Corry’s question in the parliament chamber, Ms Sturgeon said that while she was “not aware of the reasons” for any shortage in the Helensburgh area, the flu vaccination programme “is progressing well”.
She added: “Significant numbers of people have been vaccinated and that will continue over the rest of this year and into next.”
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