The Health Ministry and private pharmacies in Cyprus are experiencing supply delays for flu vaccines, with 110,000 state-ordered doses pushed back to November.
Key facts
- •The 110,000 conventional flu vaccine doses for the state programme were originally scheduled for delivery on September 30 and October 15.
- •The updated vaccine composition includes two influenza A strains and one influenza B strain, with the B/Yamagata strain removed.
- •High-dose vaccines for people aged 60 and over have not faced the same delivery delays as conventional vaccines.
- •The Pancyprian Pharmaceutical Association has requested that authorities address the supply issues affecting private pharmacies.
- •European market-wide delays for flu vaccines are estimated at six to eight weeks due to manufacturing complexities.
Cyprus is experiencing significant delays in the delivery of flu vaccines, affecting both the state vaccination programme and private pharmacies. The Health Ministry has been forced to revise its schedule for 110,000 conventional vaccine doses, which are now expected to arrive between November 2 and 6. These disruptions are part of a broader supply issue across Europe, where production challenges have delayed vaccine distribution by six to eight weeks.
By the numbers
Causes of the Supply Disruption
The delays stem from difficulties in producing this season's vaccines, which required a change to all three influenza strains based on recommendations from the World Health Organisation and the European Medicines Agency. Manufacturers received the necessary materials later than expected, and specific production issues at plants, including losses at Sanofi and filling delays at CSL Seqirus, further hindered the process. Officials emphasize that these issues concern production and delivery timelines rather than the safety or effectiveness of the vaccines.
Impact on State and Private Sectors
While the state programme has adjusted its schedule, the situation for private pharmacies is more uncertain. Pharmacists were informed on Friday that their orders, placed six months ago, had been cancelled. The Health Ministry is currently exploring whether a solution can be found to assist the private sector. Meanwhile, the state programme is continuing to vaccinate individuals aged 60 and over using 60,000 high-dose vaccines that arrived as scheduled at the end of September.
Timeline
- September 30Original scheduled arrival date for the first batch of state-ordered vaccines.
- October 15Original scheduled arrival date for the second batch of state-ordered vaccines.
- November 2 to 6Revised expected arrival window for the 110,000 conventional vaccine doses.
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This article was independently rewritten by ManyPress editorial AI from reporting originally published by In-Cyprus.
