First "Relief"

Rapid Replenishment of Flu Vaccines Is Underway

After tough negotiations, Austria secured 100,000 new vaccine doses. Vaccination appointments are still likely to be delayed, however.(Bild: Martin A. Jöchl)

It’s not the all-clear, but it is a relief. Following the flu vaccine shortage revealed last week by the “Krone” and tough negotiations on the part of the Ministry of Health, a new shipment is now on its way. 100,000 doses from another manufacturer are already “on the truck.”

One week after the alarm was raised over the shortage of flu vaccines— as reported by the “Krone” —there will soon be at least an initial respite: The Ministry of Health has secured an additional 100,000 doses of the Flucelvax vaccine on the international market. “They’re already on the truck,” was the response to a “Krone” inquiry on Friday.

However, the underlying problem remains: up to 868,000 doses of Influvac are still missing—they are not expected to arrive widely at doctors’ offices until November. “This isn’t cause for celebration yet—but it is a noticeable relief,” says State Secretary for Health Ulrike Königsberger-Ludwig (SPÖ).

Pediatricians and Gynecologists First
Delivery of the new doses is set to begin next week, and most of them are expected to be in pediatricians’ and gynecologists’ offices by the end of October. The goal is to be able to offer vaccinations primarily to young children, pregnant women, and other at-risk groups. In coordination with the states, smaller quantities will also go to primary care physicians. Flucelvax is produced in cell culture rather than in chicken eggs and is approved in the EU for adults and children six months and older.

State Secretary Ulrike Königsberger-Ludwig has negotiated extensively—and secured a new shipment.(Bild: APA/HELMUT FOHRINGER)

“Making calls, negotiating, working”
Behind the new shipment lies a week of continuous negotiations with manufacturers and suppliers. Just last week, the ministry had spoken of a “veritable vaccine bazaar” in Europe, where additional allocations are often available for only a few hours. “We spent the past week making calls, negotiating, and working as hard as we could,” said Königsberger-Ludwig. “We’re staying on top of this and continuing to fight for every additional dose.”

Court of Auditors Agrees
For those willing to get vaccinated who have no risk factors, little will change for the time being. What was considered the worst-case scenario just last week—larger quantities of Influvac not arriving until November—is now the expected timeline. And this comes as the Influenza Reference Center anticipates an early start to the flu season. The Court of Auditors (RH) has followed Königsberger-Ludwig’s recommendation to prioritize at-risk groups and, in a report published Friday on the “Free Vaccination Program for Influenza, Shingles, and Pneumococcal Disease,” advised paying particular attention to these groups.

“In light of the limited budget, the Court of Auditors recommends examining the possibility of differentiating the target vaccination coverage rate according to vulnerable population groups,” a press release stated. Such a differentiated approach could also be considered in the event of supply bottlenecks.