Supplies of Cayman’s free flu vaccine have been exhausted, the Public Health Department announced on Tuesday.
The department said that more vaccines have been ordered, but did not provide a timeline for delivery in its statement. However, the Health Services Authority told the Compass via email that it expects the additional vaccines to arrive by mid-December.
“The uptake of the vaccine this year has been higher than previous years with 4,000 administered,” said Medical Officer of Health Dr. Samuel Williams-Rodriguez in a statement announcing the stock had been depleted.
“An additional 2,000 vaccines have been on order and are awaiting delivery. Once the additional vaccines arrive, we will resume community outreach and flu vaccines in our general practice clinics,” Williams-Rodriguez said.
The public, he said, will be advised as soon as the flu vaccine is available again.
During last year’s flu season, approximately 4,500 doses of the vaccine were administered.
Williams-Rodriguez also pointed out that Public Health has noted a drop in flu cases this flu season.
“We are pleased to see that the number of reported flu cases still remains low this flu season. For 1-8 November 2020 the average of 21 persons per week have reported influenza-like illnesses, which is significantly lower than previous flu seasons,” Williams-Rodriguez said.
He said in November 2019, a weekly average of 123 flu cases was recorded. Cayman ended 2019 with 6,474 cases of influenza-like illnesses – an average of 125 cases per week.
“Therefore we can see that the many efforts of COVID-19 safety protocols and the reduction of travel has had a significant positive impact on [people’s] health,” he added.
He advised that for people exhibiting flu symptoms, HSA’s Flu Clinic at the Cayman Islands Hospital is open Monday-Friday, from 9am-5pm. The clinic is located in the area previously occupied by the Physiotherapy Department, near the Accident and Emergency Unit.
The clinic is only for persons who are seeing the doctor with flu symptom; flu vaccines will not be administered there.
Anyone with flu symptoms is reminded to first contact the 24-hour Flu Hotline to speak to a health professional about symptoms prior to visiting the flu clinic. Call the clinic at 947-3077 or email [email protected].
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