Flu vaccine: why are pharmacies out of stock?

DECRYPTION

In the context of the Covid-19 epidemic, the seasonal flu vaccination campaign is crucial in 2020. It began on October 13 and primarily targets vulnerable people and caregivers.

But in many pharmacies, robbed, impossible to find the famous vaccine.

According to the Union syndicale des pharmaciens de dispensine, the second largest union in the profession, which conducted a survey of its members, between 70 and 90% of pharmacies no longer have stocks.

But for the Minister Delegate in charge of Autonomy, Brigitte Bourguignon, only "16% of pharmacies are confronted with it," she told the National Assembly on Tuesday.

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A record number of people already vaccinated

What is certain is that around ten million doses of the vaccine were put on the market in early October.

And nine million people have already been vaccinated, a record at this time of year.

There is anyway urgency, because the campaign next January.

Good news: 80% of people vaccinated are over 65 years old.

These are therefore people at risk, and for many of them, this is a first, which delights the Order of Pharmacists.

At present, there are approximately two million doses left on the market.

But no one really knows where they are: probably scattered between certain pharmacies and the reserves of wholesalers-distributors, these intermediaries between laboratories and pharmacies.

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"We are counting on the state stock"

According to the president of the Order of Pharmacists, Carine Wolf-Thal, all doses will have been used up by December.

But the representative put on a last cartridge.

"Once the pharmacists' stocks are exhausted, we count on the state stock. This state stock will be distributed from December, not only in pharmacies, but also possibly in hospitals and nursing homes ", she explains on Europe 1." In any case, there is still a small probable margin of vaccination possible. And we must not forget that we can be vaccinated until December. "

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Thanks to the State's stock, several million of the most vulnerable people will therefore still be vaccinated.

This will have to be done before the outbreak of the epidemic in France.

This traditionally occurs around Christmas time.

But some predict that this year, the flu epidemic will be later and less severe.