With Australia being hit particularly hard with the flu virus this winter, the company that is responsible for creating a large quantity of the flu vaccines in the world, Sanofi Pasteur, will be suffering delays in production, causing a delay in distribution of the vaccines for the northern hemisphere.

Sanofi, a French multinational pharmaceutical company headquartered in Paris, France, notified healthcare providers in the northern hemisphere in June about the delay. The delay will push out the starting point to start flu vaccinations for the year, however representatives at Sanofi have assured healthcare providers that deliveries will be made in plenty of time to keep patients protected for the flu season.

The delay was caused by the World Health Organization (WHO) postponing its selection of the influenza A (H3N2) strain to be included in the vaccine for the Northern Hemisphere. This was due to the WHO observing an antigenic drift in the circulating strain.

HMOs in Israel together with the Health Ministry have yet to decide how to best prepare for the onslaught of influenza cases that they are expecting due to the delay. The problem gets bigger when factoring in that full immunization occurs only three weeks after one is immunized. Thus, the first two months of winter most people will not be immunized against the rampant strain of influenza this year.

A Health Ministry Spokesperson said: “Influenza vaccines are expected to reach Israel no earlier than the end of October. Therefore, they will not be available prior to that date. Should the vaccines arrive earlier we will notify the public in the accepted fashion.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)