Quebec pharmacies fear flu vaccine shortage
MONTREAL — Doses of flu vaccine haven’t even arrived yet and some pharmacies in Quebec are already facing shortages due to pandemic-induced interest, says the head of the association representing pharmacy owners in the province.
“Our appointment slots are booking up quickly,” said Benoit Morin, president of the Association québécoise des pharmaciens propriétaires. “We’re reaching the limit of the number of appointments versus the number of vaccines we ordered.”
Quebec pharmacies more than doubled their order of flu vaccine for seniors and anyone else who’s eligible for a free flu shot this year to 650,000 doses from just over 300,000 last year in anticipation of greater demand, he said. Vaccine deliveries are expected to start arriving this week, Morin added, as the province prepares to launch the flu shot campaign on Nov. 1, as it does every year.
But because of the precautions and physical distancing measures that are required to limit the spread of COVID19, anyone who wants a flu shot this year has to book an appointment online or by phone in advance, Morin said. Last year, clients could show up at their local pharmacy and wait in line for a flu shot from the pharmacy nurse.
Morin said he ordered 300 doses of the flu vaccine for the pharmacy he co-owns with his brothers on Sherbrooke St. E. in Montreal’s Mercier— Hochelaga-Maisonneuve borough, and all 300 appointments were booked over a weekend. He’s ordered more doses from his supplier, he added, but he’s been given no guarantees there’ll be more.
In fact, an informal survey of pharmacies on Tuesday found a few were booking appointments only in early January at this point.
It’s not surprising, Morin said, because some pharmacies may only offer vaccinations once a week or they only have one nurse and one pharmacist to administer the shots.
Quebec public health officials have expressed concern that a confluence of flu season and the second wave of COVID-19 could overwhelm the health-care system. Australia, which just ended its winter, saw greater public demand for flu shots in the wake of the pandemic. As a precaution, the Quebec government increased its order of the flu vaccine by 25 per cent over last year to over two million doses. Morin said his association is working with the Quebec health ministry, the public health department and vaccine suppliers to possibly redirect some doses to pharmacies if demand or capacity is lower in some other settings where flu shots are usually offered.
At a news conference on Tuesday, Quebec Health Minister Christian Dubé acknowledged that pharmacists are concerned about getting enough doses in view of the high demand. He said he’s tasked deputy health minister Dominique Savoie to ensure that deliveries of the vaccine arrive smoothly in stages.
“But I think that we are under control,” Dubé said, adding that he sees “no point in supplying the pharmacies for the entire needs they have for the next few months where we could ship it by two weeks at a time.”