Flu vaccines in short supply in Northland

General practices are experiencing a shortage of flu vaccines, less than two weeks before vaccination for the general population is due to start. Photo / NZME

Northland has a flu vaccine shortage and priority is being given to the most vulnerable such as people over 65, frontline health workers and pregnant women. Others are being asked to wait.

The Ministry of Health is experiencing extremely high demand for the vaccines and is asking for people to be patient while it works through backlogs.

The general population will be able to access the vaccines from April 13.

Whangārei MP and general practitioner Dr Shane Reti said although the ministry has announced policies in terms of vaccination before winter, the logistics of how that would happen were not addressed.

"It's the same wording as when the ministry said they had run out of measles vaccines. Now they are saying supply is not the issue. Who cares? At the end of the day, GPs are not getting their supply of flu vaccines."

Reti said he was concerned that if Northlanders get the flu while waiting for their jab, serious consequences could follow.

"People with flu could end up being tested for coronavirus as well so there's quite a lot of consequences from not vaccinating on time."

He said some pharmacists he has spoken to said it took between six and nine months for flu vaccines to arrive, which meant the ministry would run out of time to get the vaccines by winter.

A ministry spokeswoman said the demand for flu vaccine had been extremely high and some practices had already run through their initial orders.

"We are working with the health and disability sector to ensure influenza vaccines are distributed equitably across New Zealand, to enable those at greatest risk to get vaccinated as soon as possible.

"Further deliveries of influenza vaccine are arriving in New Zealand shortly and there will be more stock available in the first half of April."

She said almost 900,000 vaccines had been sent to providers in New Zealand so far this year. The numbers for Northland aren't available at this stage.

"Influenza immunisation doesn't normally start until April, and the flu season doesn't normally start until late May," the spokeswoman said.