General practitioners in Styria and other states are surprised by a letter from the Austrian Health Insurance Fund (ÖGK): Apparently they cannot reorder new quotas of the flu vaccine for people over 65 years old. However, the demand for it is very high.
Michael Adomeit, a general practitioner in Birkfeld, Styria, administered 55 doses of the flu vaccine on Monday alone. “The demand is very high,” says the Styrian Medical Association vaccination officer, “especially among the over-65s group.” These people need a “boosted” vaccine, Adomeit explains. “Because the immune system slows down with age.”
A letter from the ÖGK caused confusion at Adomeit and apparently also among colleagues. “It appears that there are no more quotas available to order. I can’t reorder anything.” The GP has stored and pre-ordered sufficient doses. But if demand remains high, doses may go missing.
“Vaccine waiting to be used”
When asked by “Krone”, the ÖGK explains: “The senior vaccine has been ordered by the vaccination centers and must now be vaccinated. However, the fact that vaccination centers can no longer order vaccine does not mean that elderly people can no longer be vaccinated with it, because: the vaccine is currently stored for collection in pharmacies or in the vaccination centers themselves and is waiting to be vaccinated in the coming weeks. ”
Anyone who still needs a vaccine can switch to other vaccines approved for all age groups. “Seniors can of course also be vaccinated with these vaccines.”
The number is based on the previous year
According to ÖGK, when ordering, they are based on the vaccination rate of recent years. This was 13 percent among people over 65. The vaccines are ordered for the whole of Austria and then distributed among the countries.
The ÖGK further explains: “It may therefore be the case that temporary order stops apply to individual federal states because the quota has been used up. If redistributions between the states are possible, vaccines may be able to be reordered.
Source: Krone
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