Filenews 3 April 2025
The supply of paediatricians with the booster dose of the triple vaccine for tetanus, diphtheria and whooping cough is temporarily suspended.
Cyprus' stocks are at marginal levels and the Ministry of Health yesterday made recommendations to all personal doctors of the General Health System, for the administration of the vaccines that exist only to pregnant women and their close family environment.
The relevant information to the doctors was made through the Health Insurance Organization, which in an announcement to the personal doctors of the GHS stated that "the available stock of Boostrix vaccines has been significantly reduced. Therefore, these vaccines will be made available only to PI-Adults for the vaccination of pregnant women and their close environment. The distribution of Boostrix vaccines to Children's Hospitals will be temporarily suspended, until a new stock is received and the shortage is restored".
As explained in "F", this vaccine is administered as a booster dose to children and a delay of a few weeks or even a few months in vaccination will not put them at risk.
On the contrary, pregnant women receive the vaccine as a measure to protect themselves and their child and therefore it was considered more appropriate to give them priority.
The reduced stocks are due to the change of supplier of the Ministry of Health, which, according to the HIO's information, expects new quantities within the first half of next month.
However, the decision of the Ministry of Health to stop the distribution of this vaccine to paediatricians caused the reaction of the Cyprus Paediatric Society, with its president, Michalis Anastasiades, expressing his strong protest at the fact that "the Ministry of Health did not inform us at all about this problem that exists".
