Â鶹´«Ã½

Skip to main content

Concerns rise over U.K. flu outbreak amid vaccine delays

Trucks line up at check-in to the ferry at The Port of Dover, Kent, England, on Dec. 25, 2020. (Kirsty Wigglesworth / AP Trucks line up at check-in to the ferry at The Port of Dover, Kent, England, on Dec. 25, 2020. (Kirsty Wigglesworth / AP
Share
LONDON -

One of the U.K.'s largest suppliers of seasonal influenza vaccines warned Saturday that there could be delivery delays of up to two weeks as a result of a shortage of truck drivers.

In a statement that has accentuated concerns about the potential scale of this winter's flu outbreak, vaccine company Seqirus blamed "unforeseen challenges linked with road freight delays" for the disruption to deliveries in England and Wales.

The company said it "is working hard to resolve the delay to allow customers to reschedule their influenza vaccination clinics."

Though the severity of flu outbreaks vary each year, there are concerns that past lockdowns put in place to combat the coronavirus pandemic might make U.K. residents more susceptible to the flu in the coming months.

"Clearly influenza immunization this year is really important, and the reason it's so important is because of lockdowns, we've had very low circulating influenza levels last winter," Oxford University professor Anthony Harnden said. He is deputy chairman of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, which advises the British government on the rollout of vaccines.

"So we do know when there are low circulating influenza levels the year before, often we get high infection rates in the following year so it's quite possible that we'll have a high instance of influenza this year," Harnden told the BBC.

Dr. Richard Vautrey, the chair of the British Medical Association's General Practitioners Committee, said any shortage of flu vaccines is likely to affect a "significant proportion" of local practices and warned of a "serious impact" on GPs and patients.

Free flu vaccines will be available to more than 35 million people this winter, including all secondary school students, according to the government.

Companies in a variety of industries have reported delivery disruptions due to a truck driver shortage, which has been blamed on an array of factors.

A major reason is that drivers from European Union countries returned to the continent as a result of Britain's departure from the EU and the coronavirus pandemic.

Among the many companies struggling to maintain stock levels are pub company JD Wetherspoon, whose founder was an ardent supporter of Brexit, and fast-food chains KFC, McDonald's and Nando's.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

opinion

opinion How to create a budget that works for you

Are you struggling to create a budget that fits your life and schedule? Personal finance contributor Christopher Liew shares some simple budgeting methods and offer some tips to help you create, and follow, a budget plan.

Manitoba RCMP and community members are still feverishly searching for a six-year-old boy who went missing five days ago.

An Edmonton man says he was in the wrong place at the wrong time when he was injured by members of the Edmonton Police Service last year.

Local Spotlight

Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.

Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.

They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.

Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.