There's a nation-wide shortage of the HPV vaccine
There is a worldwide shortage of the Gardasil vaccine.
There's a nation-wide shortage of the vaccine used to protect against people against papillomavirus (HPV).
The shortage of the Gardasil 9 vaccine means vaccinations for some school students would be postponed until stocks return to normal.
Pharmac chief executive Sarah Fitt said the national drug funding agency had been told it would be at least September before that happened.
A photograph sent to Stuff of a note explaining a national shortage of the HPV vaccine. 2/5/2018
The shortage of the Gardasil 9 vaccine was due to ongoing global manufacturing constraints affecting production, Fitt said.
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Pharmac has taken action to conserve supplies, she said.
"Following consultation with the Ministry of Health's Immunisation Team, Pharmac has decided to temporarily restrict the distribution of Gardasil 9 vaccine to school-based programmes and other vaccinators for use in high-risk patients only, until sufficient stock is available," Fitt said.
"We consider this proactive step will enable currently available stock to be effectively managed until additional stocks are supplied, provided no further delays in vaccine supply arise. We will continue to work with the Ministry of Health's Immunisation Team to communicate this decision to vaccinators"
HPV is primarily transferred via skin-to-skin contact during sexual intercourse. Four out of five people have a chance of becoming infected during their life.
It causes genital warts and a range of cancers, including cervical cancer.
PRIORITISED VACCINATIONS:
- School based vaccination programmes run by district health boards; school children (Year 8) will get their first dose in the first part of the year.
- High risk patients (eg HIV, transplant, post chemotherapy).
- Patients (that is non-school based patients) returning for second or third vaccinations to complete vaccinations.
POSTPONED VACCINATIONS:
-School children (Year 8) getting their second dose as a part of the school based vaccination programme.
-School based programmes targeted at Year 7 maybe postponed (most school based vaccination programmes are targeted at Year 8).
-Catch up vaccinations for patients up to age 26 (that is, those who have not yet had their first dose).
- Stuff
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