The flu season of winter 2019/2020 was a particularly virulent one for Israel and the high fatality rate scared many Israelis into seeking a flu vaccine, leading to a shortage.

The shortage led then-Health Minister Yaakov Litzman to recommend to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu that Israel establish a vaccine manufacturing plant so it won’t be dependent on imports. And in fact, in May, Israel announced plans to build its first vaccine factory but will still be dependent on imports for the upcoming winter.

Israel’s flu season has now long been overshadowed by the coronavirus crisis but predictions of a “second wave” (or “third wave“?) of the coronavirus during flu season is keeping health officials busy, especially since an even worse flu vaccine shortage could ensue during the upcoming winter.

According to a Channel 12 News report last week, Israel’s Health Ministry has already ordered six million doses of the flu vaccine, three times the usual amount, since Israelis, already in fear of contracting the coronavirus, are expected to flock to their health funds to be vaccinated for the flu in much higher numbers than the past.

However, despite the health ministry’s order, officials are worried that Israel will not be able to obtain the necessary amount of flu vaccines. “Our working assumption is that the flu and the coronavirus will spread at the same time this winter,” said Nissim Alon, head of the Leumit health fund, to Channel 12.

“Israelis expect to be able to carry on with their lives as usual and therefore we’re facing a medical and logistical challenge we never knew existed,” Alon continued. “Every year we order flu vaccines according to the previous year’s estimate, and this time we have ordered three times as much. We hope that they will indeed come to Israel and not ‘be stolen’ by other countries. Another thing is that the cost of vaccines has doubled.”

Israel’s Kupot Cholim (health funds) are concerned that a flu vaccine shortage could mean that only the most at-risk populations will be able to be vaccinated.

“We ordered around half a million flu vaccines,” said Mali Kusha, the head of the Meuchedet health fund’s nursing department. “We expect an increase in the public’s response to the need to be vaccinated,”  “We heard the health minister’s instructions that vaccines should be prioritized for at-risk populations only, but we hope we won’t reach that situation and we’ll be able to vaccinate a larger portion of the population. This is not going to be a standard winter due to the combination of the flu and the coronavirus.”

The Health Ministry said in a statement: “This year, the Health Ministry has ordered more influenza vaccines for the upcoming season in comparison to previous years…the ministry is trying to increase its vaccine inventory as much as possible. The demand for flu vaccines in many European countries and internationally is higher as well compared to previous years.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)