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<p>Public Health England (PHE) provides influenza vaccines centrally for the children’s
influenza programme. Centrally purchased influenza vaccines are carefully monitored
by PHE to ensure there is equitable distribution across England and sufficient in-date
vaccine for patients who present throughout the season.</p><p> </p><p>General practitioners
and other providers are directly responsible for the influenza vaccine supplies used
to deliver the national influenza programme to the other eligible groups. PHE maintains
oversight to help facilitate a constant supply of vaccine, liaising with vaccine manufacturers
to ascertain whether there are any manufacturing problems which could impact the running
of the programme at a national level.</p><p> </p><p>This winter, eligible adults aged
18-64 were offered a quadrivalent influenza vaccine, and those aged 65 and over were
offered a newly licensed adjuvanted trivalent influenza vaccine (aTIV). There were
a number of short-term localised shortages of both vaccines reported, particularly
for aTIV due to staggered deliveries from the manufacturer between September and November.
The NHS managed these shortages locally, but some patients had to wait longer than
usual to be vaccinated. However, there was no overall shortage of either vaccine.</p>
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