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Ottawa Public Health has run out of high-dose flu vaccine for seniors: memo

It does not expect it will get any more of the high-dose trivalent vaccine.

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Ottawa Public Health has run out of high-dose flu vaccine for seniors and isn’t getting any more, the city’s medical officer of health says in a memo to councillors.

OPH has distributed 100 per cent of the doses of the high-dose trivalent inactivated vaccine (HD-TIV) for those 65 years and older that were allotted by the province, said Dr. Vera Etches.

OPH received a total of 55,480 doses of trivalent vaccine this year, which has been distributed to family physicians, hospitals and community clinics. It does not expect it will get any more of the high-dose trivalent vaccine.

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“As a result, OPH is not able to fill any more order requests from local physicians for the high-dose vaccine, and the HD-TIV will no longer be available in our community influenza immunization clinics,” said Etches.

The vaccine may still be available in some pharmacies or from some physicians in limited quantities. Residents who want the high-dose vaccine should call their local pharmacy or health-care provider. Delaying vaccination is not recommended, said Etches.

The weekly provincial shipment of the standard quadrivalent vaccine continues without interruption and OPH’s flu clinics will remain open, she said.

The next round of appointments for OPH clinics will open Thursday at 9 a.m. through the online appointment portal. A cellphone is required to make an appointment or call 613-580-6744 to book.

Controversy has swirled around the availability of flu vaccine in Ontario as unprecedented demand has far exceeded supply.
Ontario has ordered 5.1 million flu vaccine doses, including 1.3 million high-dose doses for seniors.

Health Canada said it had ordered more than 13.9 million doses, an increase of 2.7 million doses compared to estimated demand last year. A small reserve is also available each year to the provinces as manufacturers are obligated to produce an additional five per cent of the order to be available if needed.

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In the last week of October, 130,000 doses were received by pharmacy wholesalers and were distributed to Ontario pharmacies starting late last week. Another 56,000 doses from federal and provincial stockpiles are to be distributed to pharmacies this week and next. None of these are trivalent doses.

In her memo, Etches said the provincial government allots and distributes flu vaccine and OPH is not an active participant in the vaccine procurement.

“The province is aware that we are aiming to vaccinate more people than in previous years and that the local demand for vaccine is high,” she said.

The National Advisory Committee on Immunization has stated that for people over 65, there is insufficient evidence to make a preferential recommendation between the high-dose vaccine and the standard dose.

“Both vaccines are effective and recommended for seniors. The most important thing is for seniors to get the vaccine that is available in their location without delay,” said Etches.

Dr. Lee Donohue, an Orléans family physician, said she is urging patients over 65 to get the quadrivalent vaccine if the high-dose trivalent vaccine is not available.

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“People should get a flu shot. If you’re over 65, if the trivalent isn’t available, get the quadrivalent. Just get a vaccine.”

Dr. Nili Kaplan-Myrth said her initial allotment for high-dose vaccine was 15 doses for 158 patients over 65.

While some of her colleagues say they don’t have enough supply of the trivalent dose, others are saying they don’t have a problem, she said.

“The community is trying to do the responsible thing and get a flu shot. The province said we should try to protect the community and make sure everyone got a flu shot. We couldn’t even get that right.”

Dr. Alykhan Abdulla, a family physician and the chair of the Ontario Medical Association’s section of general and family practice, said he has a handful of standard doses left.

Of the 110 doses he received with his initial allotment, 30 were of the high-dose variety.

The province ordered 1.3 million doses for seniors. That number was much too low when the goal was to immunize between 70 and 75 per cent of people over the age of 65, he said.

He argues that too much of the vaccine was distributed to pharmacies this year.

“They don’t have the capacity and metrics to decide who needs it. I hope they don’t make the same mistake with the COVID vaccine.”

In a statement, the Ontario Ministry of Health said over 5.1 million doses of the flu vaccine have been distributed, more than 1.4 million doses compared to the same time last year. More htan 200,000 more seniors have had the high-dose vaccine compared to last year.

Ontario is seeking additional doses of the flu vaccine as part of the national bulk procurement program and is in talks with private sector partners about more supply, said a spokeswoman.

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