ALKHOBAR: Pharmacies in the Eastern Province have complained of a severe shortage of regular flu vaccine. With the coming of winter, the demand for flu vaccines has predictably increased enormously.
“This is the time when people visit us in large numbers for the flu vaccine,” said Adel Abdullah, one of the pharmacists at Dawa Pharmacy outlet in Dammam. “However, we don’t have it and this has been the situation for the last two months.”
He did not know the exact reason for the unavailability of what is considered by the medical fraternity as basic medicine.
Inquiries at other pharmacies in the region revealed that it was the Ministry of Health that had decided to ration the vaccine. “The vaccine is available in adequate supply. However, the ministry decided to make it available through various hospitals and polyclinics,” said an administrator at a local hospital. “There is nothing wrong with it. If you want the vaccine, you can get it at any hospital.”
However, that does not seem to be the case with all hospitals. “The thing is why should we wait in huge lines at polyclinics and hospitals. This only adds to the burden of the medical infrastructure,” said Umm Rasheed, a mother of a 20-year-old son who is asthmatic. “My son has been taking the vaccine every year for the last 20 years. This time he couldn’t because it was not available at local pharmacies.
The pharmacist that we regularly go to was upset by the situation. What we always did was buy the vaccine for SR50 at the local pharmacy and then get it administered at any polyclinic. It was simple.”
She said now people are being sent from one clinic to another. “Not every clinic has the vaccine. There was just one clinic in Alkhobar that had it and this was before Haj. When my son went to take it there, they said the vaccine would only be given to those who are going for Haj. Since my son was not going for Haj, he didn’t get it.”
According to local doctors, the flu vaccine is a must for those who are asthmatic. “Anybody who has some kind of a chest condition or is a diabetic is supposed to take the vaccine every year,” confirmed Dr. Mamnoon Hussain.
“The vaccines are good for one year. Generally, people take it before the onset of winter and before Haj. A lot of people are now back in the Kingdom from vacation and Haj. The schools are full of children with all kinds of influenza. This vaccine is a good defense in such circumstances,” he said. “My hospital has an adequate supply of the vaccine.”
A random survey by Arab News revealed that the vaccine was not available in many pharmacies in Dammam and Alkhobar. Even many polyclinics said they did not have it. The major ones had it and were asking for SR50 for the injection.
Since the vaccine is not covered by insurance and since everybody has to pay from their pockets, citizens and expats feel it should be made easily available. “We are paying for it and we should get it,” added Umm Rasheed.
