Kuala lumpur: The stock of influenza vaccines available in the country is projected to remain sufficient until February 2026, as stated by Deputy Health Minister Datuk Lukanisman Awang Sauni. This assurance comes amidst concerns over potential shortages due to rising demand.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the Deputy Minister based his confidence on feedback from the product registration holder (PRH) as of October 24. Additionally, the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA) has been operating a voluntary Reporting of Medicine Shortage and Discontinuation mechanism since August 1. Checks conducted via this system as of November 18 revealed no official complaints about disruptions in the influenza vaccine supply.
In response to Senator Dr. A. Lingeshwaran's inquiry about the vaccine stockpile in light of increasing cases and demand, Lukanisman detailed that, as of November 10, the Ministry of Health (MOH) had 4,044 doses available for health workers and 2,881 doses for the elderly. Seven influenza vaccines containing the inactivated influenza virus type A (H3N2) strains are registered in Malaysia, including Vaxigrip Influenza Vaccine and Influvac Tetra.
Since the beginning of the year, Malaysia has imported 2,609,235 doses of the vaccine. Recent deliveries include five shipments totaling 429,130 doses, which arrived on November 25 and November 30, with another expected on December 9.
Addressing a supplementary question on the pricing of influenza vaccines in the private market, Lukanisman mentioned that the MOH is collaborating with the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) to prevent excessive pricing. He also noted the consideration of an influenza vaccine subsidy programme to alleviate congestion at health facilities, with potential allocations under Budget 2026.
Furthermore, Lukanisman disclosed that the MOH is contemplating the expansion of the Hospital Services Outsourcing Programme (HSOP), currently used for PET and MRI services, to include 'allied science' services like speech therapy, which face long waiting periods. This exploration is in response to Senator Lingeshwaran's question about addressing the shortage of allied science scheme officers and reducing patient wait times.