The Ministry of Health is exploring ways to meet the private sector’s needs for flu vaccines, following delays in their delivery to private pharmacies, as the Ministry’s Deputy Director General, Elisavet Konstantinou, told CNA on Saturday.
Ms. Konstantinou noted that the Ministry is aware of the issue and that efforts are underway to find a solution. “Efforts are being made to somehow include the private sector through the procedures of the Ministry of Health,” she noted.
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Meanwhile, information from the Ministry of Health indicates that the delay is linked to changes in the influenza virus strains included in this season’s vaccines, which affected the production process. As a result, the distributor supplying the private sector in Cyprus has announced that it will not be able to deliver the ordered quantities—totaling 13,000 doses—on time.
As part of the Ministry of Health’s vaccination program, 60,000 doses of high-dose vaccines were received about two weeks ago and are intended for people aged 60 and older, as well as for immunocompromised individuals. Vaccination of these specific groups is at an advanced stage, according to information received by CNA.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health is expecting to receive 110,000 doses of the trivalent flu vaccine. According to an update received today, the doses have been released from the factory and are expected to arrive in Cyprus within the next two weeks.
Source: CNA
