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Influenza Vaccine “Shortage”
While influenza will be in real epidemic in upcoming time
it is said that there are continuously people who could not get the vaccination.
The nurses were photographed with pose like apologising in tears.
This is posted on Twitter by a medical institution in Aichi Prefecture
and the post is written
“We are short of influenza vaccine.
It will only be applied on the patients (current) in our hospital”.
Such “influenza vaccine shortage” situation
happens in various places in the country.
ZERO did a coverage at paediatric clinic in Tokyo.
At this clinic approximately 70 people in a day
are said to receive immunisation.
However the current situation is stated by the clinic director as “abnormal situation”.
■ Ariake Children Clinic Toyosu Institute
Director Kogure Hiroyuki
“The situation now is that we are short of vaccine. It cannot be applied to all the applicants.
The situation is particularly tough this year, most of people cannot get vaccine.
Japan is a developed country
that vaccine as medicine is in shortage is an abnormal situation”
As for the reservation call during coverage…
■ Staff receiving call
“My apology.
As for the influenza vaccine,
currently, all the reservations for influenza vaccine
are stopped”
Because the expected availability of vaccine is not known
reservation is stopped now.
According to the survey we did focusing on the paediatricians and internal medicine practitioners in Tokyo
in fact 65%, i.e. over half of the respondents answered
“the stock of influenza vaccine is in shortage”.
Because of this, the medical institutions
are said to take measures such as
“Temporarily stop accepting reservation”
“Prioritise patients who need regular medical examination”
“Prioritise the elderly who receive regular vaccination”
In such circumstances, such voices are raised on SNS.
“The flu vaccination of my company stopped…
where and when will it resume, and how about the children.”
“I can’t make reservation anywhere, now I am vaccine refuge”
Then, why is there shortage of vaccine?
According to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, this year
the initially anticipated vaccine cannot be produced as planned
because in between the production process
the virus which was the “source” of vaccine changed.
Because of this, according to the manufacturer
time to start producing vaccine is said to be delayed about one month.
As a result, the delivery of vaccine to the medical institutions
is said to be late.
However based on the forecast of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare,
in around late December, the supply would become stable.
On that basis, currently “two times for children under 12 years old”
“in principle, 1 time will be fine for children over 13 years old”, such number of vaccination
is called for being implemented thoroughly.
If children over 13 years old also receive two time of vaccination
there is a risk of shortage of vaccine.
If you receive vaccination you will have immunity in your body
you will be less prone to influenza
in case you are infected with influenza, it will be more difficult to become severe
vaccine has such effect.
Influenza will become real epidemic around mid-December
while the peak will be around late January in usual year.
People who once did not manage to reserve the vaccine and gave up
please also check the availability again some time later.
Source: News Zeroイチメン (http://www.ntv.co.jp/zero/ichimen/2017/11/post-351.html)