Italian Ministry of Health to import flu vaccines amid shortages (October 16 2012)

[Giuseppe]

[Written by the Mod.(IOH).]


Italian Ministry of Health to import flu vaccines amid shortages


October 16 2012


The Italian Ministry of Health informed today that more flu vaccines will be imported because of a shortages of the drugs. The press statement is available in Italian at (LINK).

Previously, the same Ministry of Health recommended a 95% coverage for the high risk patients in all age groups (see here the original statement).

The statement explains that the shortage was caused by the lack of availability of some of the vaccine components at drugs plants without mention what kind.



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[Giuseppe]

Re: Italian Ministry of Health to import flu vaccines amid shortages (October 16 2012)

[Written by the Mod.(IOH).]

Wednesday October 17 2012

Vaccines Recall Behind the Shortage Affecting the Italian Flu Campaign

Among the other causes behind the shortage of flu vaccines for the incoming seasonal immunization campaign in Italy, cited yesterday by the Ministry of Health (see the press statement in Italian, here) there is a lots recall by the manufacturer firm Crucell (see the newswire in Italian, here).

The same recall was cited by the Hong Kong PRC SAR Department of Health on October 4 2012 (see the press release, here), because of a potential presence of contaminant in the drug.

At the time, Hong Kong DH said that bacteria could have contaminated some lots of the vaccine, but that the likelihood for the patients to suffer harms was seen as low.

In Italy it is not clear how many lots are involved in the recall and the impact on the overall influenza vaccines availability for the immunization campaign, focused primarily on the elderly population.


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[Giuseppe]

Re: Italian Ministry of Health to import flu vaccines amid shortages (October 16 2012)

[Written by the Mod.(IOH).]

More trouble with flu vaccines in Italy

October 24 2012


Another issue plagued the sesonal influenza vaccination campaign in Italy. This time a quality issue was cited by today Mininstry of Health press release (see in Italian, here).

The issue, a protein aggregation detected during the manufacturing process by a Siena based company, could be 'of harm for public health' and thus all the vaccine doses involved received an interdiction to use order by the Italian Drugs Safety Agency (AIFA).

The Italian Minister of Health, professor Renato Balduzzi, called a press conference today at 5.45pm (local time) at Ministry headquarter. During the conference more details about the quality issues detected should be available.

The protein aggregations found in the drugs may alter the immune response to the vaccines and may spur adverse reactions and side effects, said the Ministry note.

(GM)