Northern Hemisphere flu vaccines in Singapore delayed by about 2 weeks to early October

“Across our Healthway Medical GP Clinics, we have observed a steady increase in the demand for flu vaccinations in the three-week period following the National Day long weekend,” said Dr Cheng, adding that the uptake was higher than usual.

“We attribute (this) to seasonal factors including travel and school holidays,” he said. 

Dr Lim Wee Peng, medical director at Parkway Shenton, said it had seen a 15 per cent increase in demand since before the June school holidays as more families were travelling at that time. 

For Raffles Medical, demand has also steadily increased over the last few months, said Dr Chng Shih Kiat, executive medical director of Raffles Physicians.

Parkway Shenton and Raffles Medical said they expect their current vaccine supplies to remain sufficient if demand increases. 

“We will work with our pharmaceutical vendors to ensure the continued availability of vaccine,” said Dr Chng. 

Dr Cheng said Healthway Medical’s clinics had enough flu vaccines to meet current patient demand.

“We are closely monitoring stock levels across our network and working with our suppliers to ensure timely replenishment to support continued demand,” he said.

SHOULD TRAVELLERS WAIT FOR THE NEW VACCINE?

Whether travellers should wait for the Northern Hemisphere vaccine depends on when they are travelling, their destination and their health status, Dr Chng said.

The Northern Hemisphere vaccine is recommended for people at higher risk of developing complications from influenza who are travelling to places such as the US, Europe or Japan between December and February, he said.

These include those aged 65 and above and individuals with chronic heart and lung diseases.

“However, if an individual is travelling sooner or is in the aforementioned high-risk group, it might be ideal to consult with your family physician to check if the current available formulations offer adequate immediate protection,” he said.

Individuals, especially seniors and young children, who have not received a seasonal influenza vaccination can consider taking the Southern Hemisphere flu vaccine to protect themselves for now, Dr Cheng said.

Those who receive the Southern Hemisphere vaccine this year should still get the Northern Hemisphere vaccine when it becomes available because of changes in the strain composition between the two vaccines, he added.

“A minimum interval of eight weeks between the two doses should be observed,” he said.

“For travellers, it is recommended that they receive any influenza vaccine at least two weeks before their planned trips.”