On October 1, 2015 the free sale in pharmacies of the Bexsero, the meningitis B vaccine that for two years he had been putting himself exclusively within the hospital environment.
We were many parents who at that time we wanted to get the vaccine to give it to our children, but they were dropping and Pharmacy waiting lists were endless. Recently, the GSK manufacturing laboratory has announced the end of waiting lists to acquire the vaccine: "We have made an effort to bring a higher percentage of doses", have communicated.
Month waiting lists
When I decided to give my children the Bexsero vaccine, I went to four pharmacies in my area looking for the one that would provide me with the vaccines as soon as possible. However, to my surprise, in none of them the waiting list went down at least six months.
Many families found themselves in the same situation and began to emerge voices of protest against the shortage of pharmacies. We finally had the chance to vaccinate our children against a so dangerous disease Like meningitis B, the AEP recommended the vaccine but, nevertheless, it was impossible to get it. What was happening?
Pilar García Corbeira, medical director of GSK Spain, laboratory manufacturer of the vaccine, explains to the newspaper El País that they did not expect a demand as high as the one registered, especially considering the high cost of the vaccine and the fact that it was not included in the official calendar.
"The high demand is because in Spain we have pediatricians who are very good vaccinators. Despite the low incidence of meningitis B we know that it is a devastating disease. In 24 hours you can take a child who was healthy. Any doctor who has seen a child dying without sepsis caused by meningitis B die, does not forget it and it is logical that the recommendation is to vaccinate"
To the mismatch between production and demand, last year there was a delay in production that caused the vaccine to only reach 1% of the families that had requested it. Healthcare professionals called for calm, but the situation made many parents desperate.
It's over waiting
Recently, GSK has announced the end of waiting lists to get the vaccine. This was communicated by the director of the laboratory:
"Due to the high demand we have made an effort to bring a much higher dose percentage, and the Spanish market has been prioritized over other markets, with the exception of agreements with health authorities that include Bexsero in their vaccination schedule, such as the United Kingdom and some regions of Italy "
"According to our estimates we have enough doses to cover all family requests They want to vaccinate their children. If any child has not received any of the doses they need due to problems getting the vaccine, our recommendation is for families to consult their doctor and complete the vaccination schedule as soon as possible to be effective "
The Information Center on Drug Supplies (CISMED), a platform created by the General Council of Pharmacists, has been recording the supply problems of the Bexsero vaccine for some time. And the truth is that in their records, made week by week since June last year, a considerable decrease in waiting lists:
In a week of June 2017, 1,099 pharmacies with lack of supply and 12 underserved provinces were registered
In July 2017, there were 991 pharmacies with supply problems and 10 underserved provinces
In September 2017, the number of underserved pharmacies reached 727 and 6 underserved provinces
In October 2017, there were 719 registered pharmacies with supply problems and 3 underserved provinces
In November 2017, 598 underserved pharmacies and 3 affected provinces were registered
In December 2017, the number of pharmacies with supply problems dropped to 357 and only 1 supply shortage
In January of this year, the registry confirmed 259 pharmacies with supply problems and 1 underserved province
And in none of the weeks of the month of February there have been problems of shortage
Therefore, it seems so we could be attending the end of waiting lists to acquire the Bexsero vaccine, and it is certainly great news for all families who wish to vaccinate their children against this disease.
Via El País
In Babies and More The AEP asks that the meningitis B vaccine be included in the vaccine schedule. If pediatricians recommend it, why is the Bexsero B meningitis vaccine not funded in Spain? Bexsero: Should we vaccinate more than 380 thousand children to avoid a case of meningitis B ?, Another boy dies of meningitis B in Seville, and the vaccine is almost gone, New case of meningitis B in Zaragoza (and problems of shortage of the vaccine)
