Residents of the federal capital are struggling to obtain seasonal influenza vaccines as winter approaches, with several widely used brands missing from pharmacies and concerns emerging over discrepancies in the pricing of an alternative vaccine.
Families seeking to protect elderly relatives and other vulnerable individuals have reported repeated unsuccessful attempts to purchase flu shots, despite the annual recommendation to receive vaccination before influenza activity increases.
Naeem Ahmed, an Islamabad resident who arranges a flu vaccination for his mother every October, said he had spent nearly a month searching for the vaccine without success.
“I have been administering the vaccine to my mother for the last many years, but unfortunately this year it seems that my mother will become vulnerable to influenza as the vaccine may remain unavailable,” he told Dawn.
Another resident, Sohail Jamil, reported similar difficulties, saying pharmacies he visited had informed him that the usual vaccines were unavailable.
A local pharmacist said three commonly stocked vaccines — Sinovac, Vaxigrip and Influvac — had not reached his store this season.
“I used to sell at least 1,500 shots in October, but this year I could not arrange a single one,” he said.
The pharmacist also alleged that some intermediaries had begun accepting advance payments for vaccines through unofficial online bookings, although they had reportedly failed to supply the promised doses.
Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (Drap) Chief Executive Officer Dr Obaidullah Malik said the Sinovac vaccine was expected to become available by November 15.