Demand for flu vaccines at general practitioners' offices currently exceeds supply, Alise Nicmane-Aišpure, head of the Latvian Association of General Practitioners (LĢĀA), told the LETA news agency.
GPs have access to pre-ordered, state-funded vaccines for children aged between two and 18 with chronic conditions. A small number of vaccines intended for the elderly have also been delivered.
According to Nicmane-Aišpure, GP practices have received less than 10 per cent of the vaccines ordered for the elderly. The remaining vaccines for the elderly are due to be delivered this week.
Meanwhile, vaccines intended for children aged between six months and two years and adults up to the age of 60 are currently unavailable. Family doctors’ practices are unable to purchase either free vaccines or receive state-funded vaccines, as deliveries of vaccines intended for these population groups are still expected in October and November, Nicmane-Aišpure noted.
The 2026–2027 monitoring season for influenza and other acute respiratory infections has begun in Latvia, but some of the influenza vaccines earmarked for state-funded vaccination are still pending. This season, the production process for flu vaccines has been delayed across Europe; consequently, vaccine deliveries to Latvia are taking place gradually and slightly later than usual, the SPKC explained.
Data compiled by the SPKC show that, in week 42, a total of six cases of influenza and nine cases of pneumonia were confirmed in Latvia.
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