Crisis talks on flu vaccine

Health officials will meet the manufacturers of New Zealand's flu vaccine today in a bid to solve the country's vaccine shortage.

The Herald reported on Saturday that the vaccine had been delayed after potential problems were found with its effectiveness.

The news prompted a warning from National health spokesman Paul Hutchison of a public health crisis.

Grey Power says if the vaccine is delayed hospitals could face a "vast increase" in elderly patients who need to be admitted for care.

Yesterday Dr Hutchison said Health Minister Annette King and the Ministry of Health needed to be honest about "the reality of the flu vaccine botch-up".

But Ms King said health officials had not been "sitting on their hands" and were working on alternatives.

She said the situation was disappointing but Dr Hutchison was trying to turn it into a "political sideshow".

Each year about 700,000 doses of flu vaccine are administered to New Zealanders, including the elderly, people with chronic respiratory disease and health workers. The vaccination programme usually begins in late March.

But the French company that makes the vaccine, Sanofi-Pasteur, has discovered that although the vaccine is effective against two of the three strains of the flu most likely to be in circulation in New Zealand it may not protect people against the third strain, known as A/Wellington/2004(H3N2).

Medsafe, the Health Ministry's drug regulator, will meet representatives of Sanofi-Pasteur today to discuss the situation and is also seeking expert medical advice.

Dr Hutchison said the Ministry of Health appeared to be underplaying the significance of the situation.

He understood South American countries might accept the vaccine as it was because they knew a more effective vaccine would not be available in time for winter.

"It is appalling that Ms King and the Ministry of Health did not ensure there was a contingency plan for such an important vaccine."

Ms King said it was disappointing there was a problem with the vaccine. She had been told in February the vaccine had been delayed a week but was told only in the last few days of the problem with its effectiveness.

"We will know early next week the back up plan they have been working on, that's obviously what they [Medsafe, Pharmac and the ministry] have been doing. They have not sat on their hands," she said.

"We are very disappointed but they are working hard to get an alternative supply or find out whether the one we were buying is going to be acceptable."

" ... we want a flu vaccine but we certainly wouldn't have a flu vaccine that did not work or was not safe."

Grey Power president Graham Stairmand said he was concerned about the delay and questioned why the meeting with the manufacturer was only now taking place, just weeks before vaccinations would begin.

He believed any delay in the vaccine programme would result in many elderly requiring hospital admission.

Mr Stairmand said most elderly people would not be too concerned at the moment because of the good weather the country was experiencing.

"We only need a week of rough weather and it starts to get cold and the nights draw in and then we are in trouble," he said.

Flu issue

* Influenza strains change each year - and each year the World Health Organisation selects strains for inclusion in vaccines.

* About 700,000 New Zealanders are vaccinated each year against the flu. The vaccine provides protection after about two weeks

* The vaccination programme usually begins in late March.

* Now the manufacturers say the vaccine may not protect people against a third strain.