Medical officer plays down flu vaccine shortage, UK

Main Category: Infectious Diseases / Bacteria / Viruses
Also Included In: Flu / Cold / SARS
Article Date: 07 Oct 2004 - 16:00 PDT

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The UK Chief Medical Officer has attempted to play down the possibility of a shortage of flu vaccines.

Professor Liam Donaldson's comments follow the government's decision to suspend the manufacturing licence of major flu vaccine maker Chiron.

The Medicines and Health products Regulatory Authority (MHRA) removed the company's licence for three months with immediate effect because of problems with manufacturing and concerns over sterility.

Speaking on Channel Four, Professor Donaldson guaranteed that everyone currently seeking a flu jab would have received one by November, although some patients may have their initial appointment rearranged.

The medical officer said: "We have been very cautious about our planning of this programme over the years, and we spread our risk across six different vaccine suppliers."

He added: "So although we have had a quality control failure in one of our suppliers, it covers 20 per cent of the usual supply. We have already obtained contingency supplies from other manufacturers."

Meanwhile Howard Pienthe, director of vaccine maker Chiron, is confident that production of flu vaccines at its Liverpool site will be resumed in the near future.

http://www.hda-online.org.uk

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