Malta has secured the necessary supply of seasonal influenza vaccines despite international shortages, with a consignment arriving in the country earlier today, the Deputy Prime Minister has announced.
Several European countries have experienced difficulties with the supply and availability of seasonal flu vaccines due to manufacturing constraints and disruptions to supply chains and distribution, according to information published by the European Medicines Agency (EMA).
In Malta, although the annual tendering process for the vaccines had been completed, the successful bidder was unable to deliver the required quantities within the timeframe needed for the national vaccination programme.
The Deputy Prime Minister and health authorities subsequently took immediate action to secure alternative supplies, ensuring sufficient doses would be available to protect vulnerable groups and the wider population.
The Deputy Prime Minister said international contacts and cooperation, particularly with Italy, had helped resolve the situation within days after the original supplier warned that delivery might not be possible before January.
He explained that the intervention had ensured Malta received the vaccines in time, despite other countries continuing to face supply restrictions and delays to their vaccination programmes.
The national flu vaccination campaign is expected to begin between late October and early November, in line with the schedule followed in previous years.
The timing is determined by ongoing epidemiological monitoring and forecasts of influenza activity, with the aim of ensuring that protection is at its strongest during the period when the virus is expected to circulate most widely.
Further details about the campaign, including vaccination dates and locations, will be announced in the coming weeks as part of a national information campaign.
The Deputy Prime Minister also encouraged the public to take up recommended vaccinations, including the seasonal flu jab, stressing that vaccination remains one of the most effective and safest ways to protect individuals, their families and the wider community against illnesses that can lead to serious complications.
