Paul-Ehrlich-Institut

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Early Planning prevents Supply Shortages - Paul-Ehrlich-Institut calls on Physicians and Pharmacists to order Flu Vaccine Needs

06 / 2021

Influenza vaccination provides effective protection against influenza. This makes demand-based planning all the more important: as always, the vaccine ordering process for the upcoming influenza season must be completed in March. The volume of vaccine production, which takes several months, is based on these order quantities. If enough vaccine doses are not ordered, a shortage may occur in the autumn. Therefore, the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut appeals to all physicians and pharmacists to place their orders promptly, ideally before 20 March 2021, for the high-dose vaccine before 31 March 2021.

Vaccine Syringes (Source: SydneyNSW/Shutterstock.com)

The best protection against influenza is a vaccination against influenza. Every person in Germany who wants to be vaccinated should be given the opportunity to do so. Only if sufficient vaccines are pre-ordered in time due to the manufacturing process, which takes several months, can the supply of influenza vaccines to the population be ensured.

The vaccination recommendations of the German Standing Committee on Vaccination (Ständige Impfkommission, STIKO) serve as a guide for pre-ordering the appropriate vaccines. Depending on the age and risks of the vaccinee, it has issued individual recommendations. The Federal Joint Committee (Gemeinsamer Bundesausschuss, G-BA), which defines the details of the Statutory Health Insurance’s (Gesetzliche Krankenversicherung, GKV) obligation to provide benefits in the Vaccination Guideline, has confirmed the STIKO recommendations. One important change from previous years: individuals 60 years of age and older will be eligible for influenza vaccination with a high-dose vaccine beginning with the 2021/2022 flu season.

About the timeline: After the order is placed at the end of March, the vaccines are manufactured over a period of about four to five months. From around mid-August, the vaccine batches are delivered successively, following official batch testing and release by the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut. The entire manufacturing process is very lengthy, so that repeat orders cannot be taken into account and, due to the worldwide demand, there are also no additional quotas that could be made available to "latecomers".

The Paul-Ehrlich-Institut therefore asks you to ensure the supply of influenza vaccine in Germany for the 2021/2022 influenza season through early planning and ordering.

Updated: 12.03.2021