Many N.S. pharmacies have no flu shots left, says Pharmacy Association of NS

With health top-of-mind because of COVID-19, flu shots have been popular this year.

But they’re so popular, most pharmacies are running out of the shots.

Pharmacies did a record number of flu shots in October, and as a result, many have low supply or no supply at all. 

That’s according to Allison Bodnar, CEO of the Pharmacy Association of Nova Scotia.

Nova Scotia’s Health Department has stated that more supply will be coming this week and in the coming weeks.

But Bodnar says their estimate is about 90 per cent of Nova Scotia’s supply of the vaccine has already been used up, so they expect the amount they do get when new shipments come in to be very small.

Bodnar tells NEWS 95.7's The Rick Howe Show, as a result, many pharmacies are cancelling flu shot clinics and appointments.

“It’s been a challenge, let’s just say, for our pharmacies to plan clinics, to book appointments, because they just don’t know when vaccine is coming and how much is coming,” she says. “So yeah, it’s been a struggle this year.”

And while Bodnar says it’s been frustrating for her and the pharmacies, she also recognizes it’s putting a strain on patients as well.

“There’s frustration at the patient level too because they hear there’s still (flu shots) available and they come in and want their flu shot and when we say we don’t have any, they simply don’t understand why we don’t have any,” she says.

For now, Bodnar’s advice is to keep reaching out to pharmacies about flu shot availability but also suggests people get in touch with their family doctors as they should, for the moment, still have shots available.