Latvia Faces Delays in State-Funded Flu Vaccine Deliveries as Cases Rise

Flu cases are rising quickly in Latvia, yet deliveries of state-funded vaccines are late, and many patients in risk groups will only be able to get a shot in about a week, according to 360TV Ziņas. The timing matters because the present period is described as optimal for vaccination, before the epidemic threshold is reached.

Infections increasing

Last week the country recorded its first flu death: a patient over 90 years old who had several chronic illnesses. The number of cases almost doubled within a week, and the share of positive tests is approaching five percent.

Karīna Paklone, senior epidemiologist at the Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (SPKC), said flu is spreading gradually and is most often found among children. Of the 10 monitoring territories, cases have so far been registered in half. In her words, flu circulation in Latvia is already active.

Vaccine supply

The state-funded programme covers 148,000 doses, but fewer than half have been delivered so far. Vaccines are currently available to children and to seniors over 60. Pregnant women and other risk groups must wait for deliveries until at least 13 November.

The National Health Service attributes the delay to a complicated manufacturing process in Europe: this year all three components of the vaccine had to be changed at once.

Circulating strain

This season the H1 pandemic subtype of influenza A, which caused a widespread pandemic worldwide in 2009, is circulating in Latvia. Specialists say public immunity has adapted to this strain.