“I’m exhausted”, “we don’t have any left”, “we’re not going to finish the week”… In many pharmacies throughout France, the diagnosis is the same: flu vaccines are starting to run out. And the timing is not good.
In its weekly bulletin, Public Health France (SPF) underlines that the epidemic reached an “exceptionally high level of intensity compared to previous seasons” in the hospital last week. All of France has entered the epidemic phase. A situation that will become even more difficult, since the latest trend seems more like an increase than an end to the wave.
a problem of order
These serious cases put additional pressure on health services to a small extent, with around twenty white plans activated in hospitals throughout the territory. It is in this feverish context that a shortage seems to emerge, after a particularly slow start to the vaccination campaign.
On November 28, the government even had to launch a “call for the mobilization of citizens and health professionals” to build momentum. As cases multiply, some French people become motivated and difficulties appear.
“When the epidemic broke out, people were afraid and went to get vaccinated,” Philippe Besset, community pharmacist and president of the Federation of Community Pharmacists, explains to BFMTV.
However, latecomers are finding it difficult to get their dose at the end of the campaign, even as calls for vaccination continue, aimed mainly at vulnerable people. Generalized tensions or occasional ruptures that are explained very simply. To do this, it is necessary to know the order cycle and the systemic failures it generates.
Every year, around February, pharmacies order their doses directly from laboratories. But rather than placing blind orders, pharmacies rely on the number of doses ordered over the past year. Problem: a year marked by little vaccination, followed by a campaign with high demand, generated a shortage. Or on the contrary, waste.
“We threw away flu vaccines for years and for years we didn’t have enough,” laments Philippe Besset.
However, this problem could have been foreseen. In April 2024, when the order period was due to end, the General Directorate of Health (DGS) issued a warning to professionals. The order volume was considered “insufficient, 10% below the target.”
“I can no longer meet the needs of my patients”
Therefore, the quantity ordered is crucial, especially since it is impossible to replenish stock during the season. This causes gaps that cannot be filled in the event of an imbalance.
“We ran out on January 9. We can no longer order vaccines or receive help from the wholesaler,” laments pharmacist Frédéric Affriat.
“I can no longer order them from wholesalers because they are out of stock and therefore I can no longer meet the needs of my patients,” confirms Laurine Lecaillet, also a Parmacian in Marseille.
Wholesale distributors, who act as intermediaries between laboratories and pharmacies, play, however, only a marginal role in the flu vaccine circuit. Pharmacies deal directly with suppliers for this recurring annual meeting. Only 10% of total vaccines go through this intermediary.
“Both for wholesalers-distributors and pharmacies, in general only one delivery of vaccines is planned before the start of the campaign in mid-October, the laboratories do not foresee a replenishment of stocks,” defends Emmanuel Déchin, general delegate of the Pharmaceutical Distribution Chamber; (CSRP), which represents wholesalers-distributors. Therefore, it is impossible to try to reconsolidate a population during the season.
Another 600,000 doses?
The Federation of Community Pharmacists estimates that 10.3 million vaccine doses have already been administered during the 2024-2025 campaign. And there would be 600,000 distributed among the different establishments, according to data from a collaborating organization.
“Therefore, there is still the possibility of getting vaccinated. If your pharmacist cannot find a dose for you, he or she will refer you to a colleague,” says the president of the organization.
Therefore, the situation is quite heterogeneous. If tensions are observed in the Alpes-Maritimes, in other regions some pharmacies could, paradoxically, find themselves throwing away leftover doses, as in Côte-d’Or.
To avoid a similar situation next October, during this period of order preparation for the 2025-2026 season, recommendations and warnings are increasing. “I asked my pharmacist colleagues to order more than 10% of the vaccines for next year,” Philippe Besset announces to BFMTV.
A call also shared by the health authorities. Earlier this week, the General Directorate of Health sent a similar message to professionals following the orders.
“As every year, this approach aims to anticipate any supply tension and ensure optimal progress of the next campaign (…) Consequently, we invite all structures (…) to reserve vaccine doses in sufficient quantity to meet the needs. “requests the DGS.
Source: BFM TV
