The 100,000 units of the influenza vaccine that had been brought to Malta were already used up, Deputy Prime Minister and Health Minister Chris Fearne said in Parliament. With this in mind, another 150,000 units are expected to arrive in Malta in the coming days.

The influenza vaccine was made available in Malta on 11th October. People with chronic illness, people aged over 55 and children under the age of 5 were given priority to receive the vaccine. The 150,000 units of the influenza vaccine yet to arrive will be able to be used by the whole population, Fearne said.

Fearne explained the importance of taking the vaccine for the seasonal influenza in order to avoid unnecessary illnesses during the pandemic. He went on to say that unfortunately, the symptoms of influenza are very similar to those of Covid-19. This means that due to the similarity, testing centres could be overwhelmed and certain medical resources which are reserved for the treatment of Covid-19 will have to be used for the treatment of influenza.

The amount of influenza vaccinations given during the first week of this year compares to six months of the vaccination campaign in 2019. The Covid-19 pandemic has clearly fuelled people to take the influenza vaccine as an added protection this winter.

Superintendent for Public Health Charmaine Gauci has warned for the public to remain vigilant as the country moves into the flu season. The Superintendent said that while the vaccine for influenza is free, the Covid-19 vaccine is not yet available. Therefore, the public is urged to get vaccinated from the seasonal flu in order to minimise the possibility of a double virus front.

Although Malta has a high percentage of people who get vaccinated against the seasonal flu (10% higher than the European average) around 50,000 people still get infected with the flu each year. With the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimating around 130 deaths a year from the influenza for Malta, this could spell problems for the healthcare system given the Covid-19 situation.

A recent survey published in the Malta Medical Gazette stated that the percentage of workers who refuse to take the vaccine is expected to drop this year from 41% to 21%.

The Malta Independent spoke to the President of the Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses (MUMN) Paul Pace and when asked about the flu vaccines going out of stock and those on order, Pace said that this was not the first time that the vaccine came in batches. However, he said, given the whole Covid-19 situation, “the government should have acted accordingly, since now the big question is when the second batch of influenza vaccines will be made available.”

Furthermore, Pace showed concern that the second batch which should arrive in Malta soon, would not be safe for children under 3 years. Pace said that these claims still have to be confirmed. Pace went on to say that even with the second batch, only half of the population will be vaccinated, which he said is a shortcoming from the government’s side.

Malta was allocated 330,000 doses of potential Covid-19 vaccine, once made available. With regards to this, Pace said that certain vaccine trials have been stopped due to patients showing side effects which were not normal. He went on to say that there is huge doubt as to whether the Covid-19 vaccine will be ready by the first months of the coming year.