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By Caden Fanshaw

FLU SHOTS

Northern Health ‘confident’ in flu shot supply, no shortage coming

Nov 18, 2020 | 3:55 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – As anticipated by BC Health Officials, demand has soared to new heights for the flu shot compared to years past.

“I ran around for three weeks trying to find somewhere to give me the flu shot,” says Trish Naziel

Naziel was just trying to do her do-dilligence and get the flu shot after multiple calls from Public Health Officials to get vaccinated because of COVID-19.

“It shouldn’t have to be this hard to find a flu shot, most of the pharmacies I went to didn’t even have any in stock,” says Naziel.

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BC ordered an additional 1.5 million doses of the influenza vaccine to meet demand, but supply may already be lagging behind.

Normally the Third Avenue Pharmacy has plenty of doses left at this time of the year. This year, Pharmacy Manager Patrick Dinelle says they are down to just over 40 left in stock as of noon Wednesday.

“We have seen a lot more people than we ever have before,” says Dinelle. “We are down to levels we usually don’t see until January.”

Shoppers Drug Mart in the Spruceland Shopping Centre says they don’t have any doses of the vaccine left in stock.

Pharmacy staff at Shoppers Drug Mart say Northern Health does not have any more doses on order coming to re-supply them.

Despite all of this Medical Health Officer for Northern Health Dr. Rakel Kling says she is confident there will not be a shortage.

“I am confident we can meet the demand in the north,” says Kling. “We just may not be able to meet it in the next two weeks because of supply delays.”

Kling says just because there may not be any doses left at your local pharmacy, Northern Health still has nine flu shot clinics that are easy and simple to attend.

You can find more information on the Northern Health website or by calling the Northern Health Authority office.