tensions over vaccine stocks in pharmacies

The flu epidemic is intensifying in France. “At the beginning of January 2025, influenza activity was high in hospital in all age groups, indicating a significant severity of the epidemic.announced the Ministry of Health in a press release published on January 14. Vaccination is the best protection against the virus, especially for people at risk. But in recent days, vaccine stocks have been tight in certain pharmacies.

Flu vaccine: shortages observed everywhere in France

HAS TF1Pierre-Olivier Variot, president of the USPO (the Union of Community Pharmacists’ Unions), emphasizes that the observation concerns the entire country, but that there are inequalities between regions and even within a same city. “To give an idea, at the start of the week, there were 400,000 doses left, but 50% were held by 10% of pharmacies, so we can see that the distribution is not necessarily fair“, he specifies. In Wasselonne in Bas-Rhin, for example, Christian Barth, pharmacist, is faced with a shortage of doses. “We had a rush in the last fortnight, he emphasizes RTL. I don’t have any anymore, although we had 1,000 at the start of the season. This is the number we order each year. Wholesalers are also dry. It’s unavailable everywhere.” In Marseille, several pharmacists face the same situation. HAS France 3 Provence -Alpes-Côte d’Azurthey explain that they are unable to order new doses, although it was still possible a few days ago. “Every year, it’s drugs against diabetes, blood pressure, which are out of stock, and now vaccines and we have no explanation, confides one of the managers of the Prado Mermoz pharmacy to our colleagues. It’s a total blur, and it’s always like that. We are a little helpless in this situation.“

How to explain flu vaccine stock shortages?

In his interview with TF1the president of the USPO, Pierre-Olivier Variot, provides some explanations for these tensions on stocks. He recalls that vaccine doses are ordered once a year, based on vaccine doses delivered the previous year. “Vaccination started slowly and at the end of last week, we had vaccinated as many people as last year, so all the vaccinations that have taken place over the past ten days are more“, he says.
He also reminds us that pharmacists are the only ones to take “the risk of the stock”. “The current situation in pharmacies is not good, so pharmacists order the minimum of what they think is right, because no one can afford to throw away 50 vaccines today.”develops the health professional.

Flu: what reaction do health authorities have to face tensions over vaccines?

Monday January 13, the Directorate General of Health announced that stocks should be available for pharmacies. “In order to support these last weeks of flu circulation and due to the holding of insufficient stocks in certain community pharmacies across the national territory, we would like to communicate on the availability progressive supply of additional doses of the following vaccines from wholesalers-distributors: Fluarix Tetra (GSK Laboratory), Vaxigrip Tetra (Sanofi-Pasteur Laboratory) and Influvac Tetra (Viatris Laboratory)”specifies the document. In its press release published last week, the Ministry of Health emphasizes that the vaccination campaign must end on January 31.