Pharmacies have reported a surge in flu jab demand amid rising cases with some even running out of stock due to a new strain of the disease this winter.
Flu hospitalisations increased by more than 50 per cent last week in England, official figures show, with NHS bosses warning they are facing a “worst case scenario” this Christmas.
The number of flu patients admitted to hospital has also surged across Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, adding pressure to A&E and ambulance services, while pharmacies across the country reported a shortage of vaccines.
A poll shared with The i Paper by the National Pharmacy Association, which represents 6,000 independent pharmacies across the UK, showed that 95 per cent of its members reported an increase in demand for NHS flu jabs this week.
Around 90 per cent also reported a rise in demand for the vaccine privately.
While 81 per cent reported they had jabs in stock, 19 per cent said they had run out, meaning about 1,200 pharmacies represented by the NPA did not have vaccines in supply. Although some chemists have run out of stock, major pharmacies have said there is no national shortage.
Janet Morrison, chief executive of Community Pharmacy England, which represents over 10,000 pharmacies, said patients “may need to wait a little longer than usual to secure an appointment” to get a flu jab due to the surge in cases.
Morrison said there had been “isolated reports of pharmacies struggling to obtain flu vaccination supplies” across England, adding that all “will be working … hard to source extra stock if they need it”.
Meanwhile, Community Pharmacy Scotland, which represents over 1,200 pharmacies, warned that its members have reported a shortage of jabs, with some raising concerns they would not be able to restock.
An average of 2,660 patients were in hospital with the flu every day last week in England, an increase from 1,717 the previous week. A total of 254 flu patients were in hospital in Wales last week, with 12 needing critical care.
In Northern Ireland, 1,184 new cases were recorded in the first week of December – a 24 per cent increase on the previous week. An average of 662 flu patients were in hospital in Scotland each day last week, up from 446 the previous week.
Adam Osprey, policy and development head at Community Pharmacy Scotland, told the BBC: “Some people are saying to us that they are running low while others have completely run out and have not got much hope of getting the stock back in.”
Despite the number of pharmacies reporting low or no stocks of flu jabs, Olivier Picard, chair of the National Pharmacy Association, said “there does not appear to be a general, nation-wide shortage” yet.
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He told The i Paper: “While some primary care providers may have temporarily run out of stock, National Pharmacy Association member pharmacies are telling us they still have good availability and are able to vaccinate patients promptly.
“We urge people in at risk groups, such as older people and pregnant women, to get vaccinated as soon as possible.
“Flu can make you very ill, so ask at your local pharmacy or GP practice for a jab, which is quick and almost completely painless.”
The association also said that 31 per cent of its members could obtain extra stock from wholesalers to meet the rising demand for flu jabs.
The current dominant strain of so-called “super-flu” sweeping through the UK is H3N2, also known as subclade K. This is a mutation of the influenza A virus and is believed to be behind an earlier than normal outbreak this season.
Data released this week showed that positive flu tests were highest among children aged five to 14. But less than a third of all pupils have had their flu vaccines – despite it being offered for free inside schools by the NHS.
The Department of Health and Social Care has said it is “under no illusions this is going to be a particularly tough winter for our NHS”, but claimed there is “no national shortage of the flu vaccine”.
Experts have warned that flu rates could still rise in different parts of the country, with Liverpool and the wider North West particularly exposed due to low uptake of the flu vaccine among pregnant women and those with underlying health conditions.
At present, the North East and Yorkshire has the highest number of people in hospital with flu, according to the latest figures.
At least 645 people required a hospital bed because of flu each day in the region between 1 to 7 December, the NHS data shows. By comparison, 136 people were in beds with flu in the South West.
The number of flu vaccinations dropped to 451,275 in the first week of December from 622,828 the previous week, according to NHS figures.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting told LBC he was “extremely worried” about the “double whammy” of rising numbers of flu patients in hospitals and forthcoming resident doctor strikes.
Writing in The Guardian, Sir Keir Starmer also said it is “frankly beyond belief” that resident doctors would strike during the NHS’s worst moment since the pandemic, warning that the move could place the health service and patients “who need it in grave danger”.
The British Medical Association (BMA) will vote on whether to carry out planned strikes in England next week.
The result of a BMA ballot is due on Monday. If it is rejected, a five-day strike will begin on Wednesday.
BMA resident doctors committee chair Dr Jack Fletcher said the union was not “diminishing” the impact of flu, but added that Streeting “should not be scaremongering the public into thinking that the NHS will not be able to look after them”.
Countries in continental Europe, including France, Spain, Romania and Hungary, have also reported a surge in flu cases this season.
The French national public health agency, Sante publique, said flu activity was “increasing strongly” in metropolitan France, with cases rising in all age groups.
A DHSC spokesperson said: “Flu is a challenge for hospitals every year, and we are under no illusions this is going to be a particularly tough winter for our NHS, which is why we began preparations earlier than ever before and have a plan in place to protect the health service.”
The spokesperson added over 17 million vaccines were delivered this autumn – hundreds of thousands more than last year – with over 60,000 more NHS staff also getting their jab.
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“There is no national shortage of the flu vaccine, and we would urge everyone eligible to get their vaccination to protect themselves and their loved ones,” the spokesperson said.
“We are also calling on resident doctors to accept the offer made to the BMA, which would bring an end to extremely damaging strike action and help the NHS this Christmas.”
An NHS spokesperson said: “There is no national shortage of the flu vaccine. There are multiple vaccine suppliers and multiple effective, approved vaccines available, so the NHS has enough for all eligible people who want one.
“Anyone eligible should come forward and get their flu jab.”
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