Out of flu vaccine for the third or fourth time

Newshub reports:

Newshub can reveal hundreds of Auckland doctors have been told yet again that stocks of flu vaccines are about to run out. 

A message sent to doctors based on advice from the Ministry of Health was sent out just hours after Dr Ashley Bloomfield told the public that everyone can now get the jab.

The revelation has left Kiwi doctors furious.

The instructions for the public were clear from the Director-General of Health at the 1pm coronavirus briefing on Wednesday: “All New Zealanders are now able to get a flu jab, and I would encourage them to do so.”

Precisely five hours and 25 minutes after Dr Bloomfield made that claim, an email was sent to doctors by ProCare, which represents 173 Auckland practices that service more than 800,000 patients.

“Flu vaccine update: read it and weep,” was the headline. 

“Guess what?” the update asked. “The Ministry of Health advises that at the current rate of distribution, New Zealand is likely to run out of stock next week.”

Dr Jan White, Medical Association General Practitioner Council Chair, says the situation is a mess, and “we can’t have a mess like this”.

This is the third or fourth time it has happened. How can you have the DG of Health say one thing and the Ministry of Health a few hours later tell doctors we’re running out?