Estonia’s flu vaccine deliveries will arrive later than usual

Flu vaccines will reach Estonia later than usual this season after the strains used to make them were changed at short notice, ERR reported. The country’s small market has also made it a lower priority for pharmaceutical companies.

The first doses are expected in late October, while the final deliveries may not arrive until January. Ott Laius, deputy director general of the Estonian Medicines Agency, said the World Health Organization’s decision to change all vaccine strains for the season made production more complex and delayed it.

Estonia is due to receive more than 230,000 doses, somewhat more than last year. Risk groups will be the first to have access to vaccination. The initial delivery of 93,000 doses is expected in late October, followed by another shipment in November, said Hanna Jäe, who leads vaccination and pharmacy services at the Estonian Health Insurance Fund.

Argo Lätt, who works on vaccine issues for the Estonian Family Doctors’ Association, said Estonia’s population of 1.3 million does not make it a large market for vaccine manufacturers. He said demand is difficult to predict, noting that estimates he had heard ranged from 5,000 to 7,000 doses, while he had once ordered 15,000.

Doctors say it will not be too late to get vaccinated in the new year, as infection levels are currently low and the flu season lasts until spring. Special vaccines for children and older people are already available.

The Medicines Agency advises people waiting for a dose to follow precautions used during the coronavirus pandemic: stay home when ill, wash hands and consider wearing a mask in crowded places.