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Suzanne Vega

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Midlands TD Calls On Health Minister To Account For Missing Flu Jabs

Wednesday, 11 November 2020 09:46

A midlands GP says demand for the vaccine has gone way up this year.

There are calls for the Health Minister to go before the Dáil to explain how 600,000 doses of the flu jab have gone missing.

The HSE has stopped distribution of the vaccine to find out what happened, after a letter was sent to doctors and pharmacists saying only 700,000 of the 1.3 million jabs have been administered, according to the Irish Independent.

Roscommon-Galway TD Denis Naughten says the situation needs to be clarified as a lot of people need the flu jab to get through the winter:

The head of the HSE insists no flu vaccines sent out to GPs and pharmacists have gone missing.

The Health Service says claims that doses have gone missing may stem from vaccines that have been sent out not being given to patients yet or doctors not having applied for reimbursement.

CEO Paul Reid has told the Oireachtas Health Committee how the issue has come about:


There's a 20 to 25% increase in the number of people taking up the flu vaccine. 

That's according to the president of the Irish Medical Organisation, Dr. Padraig McGarry. 

The Longford GP says, aside from the distribution issue that has emerged, there's going to be a significant shortfall because of the jump in demand:

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