Israel Grapples With Flu Vaccine Shortage Amid Rising Cases

Israel is experiencing a shortage of flu vaccines, making it difficult for many citizens to get vaccinated as the flu season begins and winter approaches. Patients across the country are struggling to book appointments, with some encountering messages indicating no available slots. One patient, using a pseudonym, reported being unable to find a flu shot appointment for herself through her health fund's app, though one was available for her toddler on the same day, suggesting a potential prioritization of children and the elderly. Health funds, however, deny having specific appointment priorities, stating that systems open slots based on vaccine availability in clinics.

This scarcity is attributed to a global delay by the World Health Organization in determining the specific virus strains for this year's vaccine, not to insufficient orders by the health funds. Despite the vaccination campaign having opened a month prior, the healthcare system has yet to fully resolve the supply issue, with vaccines not reaching all clinics. Health funds have stated that a new shipment arrived recently and is being distributed, with full distribution expected within days. Clalit, the largest health fund, expects to have vaccines in all its clinics by Wednesday, and plans to increase vaccination rates during the upcoming election week.

As of early October, 277 hospitalized individuals had tested positive for the flu, including 15 who required intensive care. The National Center for Disease Control reported 66 new cases of influenza A among inpatients in the week ending October 10th. While community transmission is below the epidemic threshold, there has been an increase in flu-like illness visits to clinics across most age groups. As of October 11th, only 4.1% of the population had been vaccinated, with the highest vaccination rate among those aged 65 and over (16.7%) and the lowest among teenagers (1%).

Discussions are ongoing regarding the high-dose flu vaccine, which is more effective for individuals over 65 but significantly more expensive. The four major health funds collectively ordered only 37,500 doses of this specialized vaccine this year, a fraction of the eligible population. The Ministry of Health states that it does not purchase flu vaccines for the health funds, leaving the responsibility for procurement and distribution to the funds themselves. While the ministry encourages prompt vaccination with whatever vaccine is available, it acknowledges the benefits of the high-dose version for the elderly.