Flu vaccine deliveries to Cyprus delayed, 110,000 doses now due in November
State programme doses ordered for late September and mid-October will instead arrive in early November, while private pharmacy orders were cancelled outright.
Cyprus's state flu vaccination campaign is being reshuffled after deliveries of 110,000 conventional doses slipped from late September and mid-October to between 2 and 6 November, as reported by philenews. The National Vaccination Committee has been notified of the revised timetable.
The setback follows Friday's news that private pharmacies were told orders placed half a year ago would not be fulfilled at all, leaving customers who buy their jabs commercially without a clear alternative. Manufacturers across Europe are running six to eight weeks behind after all three strains in this season's vaccine had to be swapped on advice from the World Health Organization and the European Medicines Agency.
Because 60,000 high-dose shots for people aged 60 and over arrived on schedule at the end of September, jabs for that age group are already going ahead through personal doctors, and the programme should widen to other eligible groups once the delayed batch lands.
"The failure to fulfil the orders was attributed to production and scheduling problems following changes to the strains included in this season's vaccine." — philenews
What it means for residents
If you get your flu shot through the state programme, the calendar shifts rather than collapses: over-60s can book now, everyone else waits for the November batch. If you usually pay at a pharmacy, you are in a tighter spot, because those orders were scrapped and no replacement supply has been confirmed yet.
- Over-60s: high-dose vaccines are in stock, so arrange your jab with your personal doctor without waiting.
- Younger eligible groups: expect appointments to open once the 110,000 conventional doses clear customs in early November.
- Private buyers: check with your pharmacy before paying, and ask whether a state dose could cover you if you qualify.
This text is written from the source article and is not a translation of it.
