Vaccine bottleneck - Flu wave is approaching

Doctors are worried about missing influenza vaccine

19/10/2012

For the coming winter, a particularly strong flu epidemic is expected in Germany. Doctors are concerned about the shortage of flu vaccines. The bottleneck was due to delivery difficulties of the pharmaceutical company Novartis, which won the tender of the cash registers. The coalition is now discussing a revision of previous practice.

Bottleneck in the flu vaccine especially dangerous for the elderly and the sick
According to experts, the next flu epidemic is already at the door. As of December, significantly more people will develop influenza than in the previous year, similar to the situation in the southern hemisphere. This is especially dangerous for elderly and sick people whose immune system is weakened. The Standing Vaccination Commission (STIKO) of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) has therefore issued a vaccination recommendation for certain, particularly vulnerable groups of people. But due to delivery difficulties of the manufacturer Novartis is currently a bottleneck for the preparation Begripal.

Above all Bavaria and the north German federal states are affected by the supply difficulties. After a bid that won Novartis, the cash registers concluded contracts for the cheap vaccine Begripal with the pharmaceutical company. Because of the bottleneck, the funds had also released other vaccines for the affected regions, but they too lacked vaccine supplies as they were not prepared for high demand after Novartis won the tender.

For the production of a vaccine a longer lead time is needed because the production is very laborious and time consuming. The multiplication of the virus contained in the vaccine takes place in eggs and lasts about six months. The finished flu vaccine is usually available in June or July and is being tested in annual clinical trials.

Coalition calls for new regulation on tender for flu vaccine
Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics GmbH has not been able to report how the supply bottleneck came about. Shortages of vaccine were reported only for northern Germany and Bavaria, as there were no tenders in other regions.

Demands for a new regulation, in order to be able to ensure a sufficient supply of vaccine in the future, are getting louder and louder. The coalition is also discussing a revision of the current practice. „For vaccines, we have to check the instrument of tenders, "said Jens Spahn, health spokesman for the CDU, told the news agency „dpa“.

Peter Wutzler, President of the German Association for the Control of Viral Diseases, also criticizes the current procedure. The exclusive contracts that the health insurance companies close with certain manufacturers put the supply of patients at risk. Physicians should be given the opportunity to use the most appropriate vaccine. Currently, they are set to a certain amount. Wutzler stressed that doctors „In the choice of vaccines, the effectiveness and orientation of the respective target group“ should.

Bavarian GPs sound the alarm because of a bottleneck with the flu vaccine
Recently, Bavarian family doctors sounded the alarm. The vaccine had not arrived despite the promises of the local working group of health insurance associations in the family doctor's offices. The GP's Association therefore fears a late delivery may not be until the beginning of December. However, that was too late for many people. Normally, the flu vaccines will be administered between September and November as the first influenza episodes are expected from December. The body needs about two weeks after vaccination to build up effective antiviral protection.

As reported by the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians Schleswig-Holstein, some doctors had already received a replacement vaccine, which they returned, however, due to concerns back. The physicians are angry in the face of the situation. „This is annoying if not enough vaccine is available, "said Roland Stahl, spokesman for the Kassenärztliche Bundesvereinigung.

Heavy flu wave expected
„I expect a tough season, "explained Wutzler, saying that in the southern hemisphere there have been many flu deaths and that the German population is largely immune.

According to the Australian Ministry of Health, many Australians were infected with the H3N2 pathogen during this influenza season. In contrast, there were only a few infections with the swine flu virus H1N1 compared to the previous year. At the beginning of the season, the authorities registered an unusually large increase in the number of influenza cases. As the Ministry of Health further said, the number of infections over the entire flu season, however, was hardly higher than in previous flu epidemics. In mid-July, the peak of influenza-related hospital admissions was reached. Since then, a significant decline has been recorded. (Ag)

Also read about influenza vaccination:
No flu vaccine: Emergency brake of the health insurance companies
Swine flu vaccine causes narcolepsy
Influenza vaccine offers protection against heart attack?

Picture credits: Dieter Schütz