Spurned drug firm ends flu jab crisis

The company which supplied New Zealand's flu vaccine until this year has found an extra 360,000 full-strength doses to help avert a crisis.

This is on top of 8000 doses already committed by GlaxoSmithKline, which was the sole supplier for seven years. It missed out on this year's contract after Pharmac's drug-buying role was extended to include flu vaccine.

Pharmac and the Health Ministry have now sourced 518,000 full-strength doses, enough to vaccinate the 400,000 people who qualify for state-paid flu jabs.

They are people aged over 65, plus anyone else with chronic health problems, including heart disease, diabetes and ongoing lung disease.

More than 300,000 others pay up to $30 at a GP clinic or have injections at work paid for by their employers. Many of them will have to have the original sanofi pasteur vaccine, or possibly two doses of it, as it is weaker than intended for one of the three flu strains expected to dominate this winter.

Sanofi blames the weakness on human error at its French factories.

A spokesman for Pharmac said yesterday that it had stopped searching for extra supplies now that enough doses had been found to cover the state-funded programme, but it was open to any further offers.

A spokesman for Health Minister Annette King said the Government might widen free access to the sanofi vaccine to restore public confidence in the vaccination scheme. But first the ministry would have to determine if two doses could be given.

The ministry expects to announce next week who will be vaccinated first with the full-strength vaccine.

Most of the full-strength supplies will not arrive until May, a month after the start of this year's vaccination programme, which will already be several weeks late.

Pharmac said the costs of the extra vaccine doses would be met by sanofi and its New Zealand supplier, Merck Sharp & Dohme.

Pharmac's use of a sole supplier for the vaccine is being questioned. Australia and other countries have more than one supplier. Merck's corporate affairs manager, Phil Johnstone, said the company had floated the idea of a dual- or multi-company supply, but Pharmac rejected this.

Pharmac's medical director, Dr Peter Moodie, said it had no record of this suggestion and the document requesting flu vaccine proposals sought bids for a range of supply arrangements.

Glaxo NZ vice-president and managing director Lisa Bright said it was disappointing to lose the vaccine contract, but the company was delighted it could now help fill the gap.

She accepted Pharmac's need for sole-supplier contracts to lower costs, but added, "The scare this has given New Zealand ... has reinforced the importance in some circumstances to have dual supply."

FLU OR COLD?

COMMON FLU SYMPTOMS

Sudden onset.

High fever, headache and possibly vomiting.

Dry cough.

Muscle aches, exhaustion.

Weakness can last three weeks.

Can lead to pneumonia.

COLD

Gradual onset.

Fever, headache, muscle aches and vomiting are uncommon.

Cough less severe.

Sore throat, sneezing and stuffy nose common.

Usually lasts two to four days.

HOW MUCH VACCINE?

More than 700,000 doses of flu vaccine are needed.

The Government has sourced 518,000 doses of full-strength vaccine.

This is on top of 1.38 million doses from the original supplier. These are weaker than intended for one of the three flu strains expected to dominate this year. People might need two injections of this vaccine.