The flu jab shortage has left 1.3million fewer pensioners vaccinated than at this time last year, it emerged yesterday.
Figures from Public Health England show that up until November 11 only 52 per cent of over-65s – around 5.2million – had received the vaccine.
This is well below the 65 per cent who had been vaccinated at the same point last year.
Meanwhile, nearly 69 per cent of GPs say they have experienced a shortage of the jab, according to a survey by doctors’ magazine Pulse, forcing them to turn away elderly patients as a result.
Only 52 per cent of elderly patients have received the jab while 69 per cent of GPs reported a shortage of the vaccine
Fluad – the new system – has sparked rows between NHS England and GPs
The survey of 650 GPs revealed only 20 per cent of practices had had no trouble securing the vaccine.
Problems have been blamed on the staggered roll-out of the new, more effective jab for over-65s, which has been released in batches.
NHS officials insist that by tomorrow the final batches will have been delivered to surgeries and pharmacists.
They claim this will mean 7.8million vaccines will have been sent out – more than enough to hit the 73 per cent vaccination rate seen last year, when 7.4million over-65s received the jab.
But GPs say insufficient supplies in September, October and earlier this month meant they could not vaccinate as many patients as they liked.
The fiasco over the new jab – called Fluad – has triggered a war of words between NHS England and GPs. Officials insist GPs were given plenty of notice of the phased supply system, but doctors say they were only told in February – four months after they usually place their orders.
Dr Marie Williams, a GP from Blackpool, said: ‘It has been a complete debacle, wasting practice and patient time.
‘To add insult to injury, patients have been complaining that it’s the practice’s fault when clinic appointments have been sent out in good faith and supplies ordered in plenty of time.’
Dr Melanie Blackman, a GP from Wiltshire, told Pulse: ‘Failed delivery times – delayed by two weeks – resulted in us having to cancel or move 170+ appointments.’
Last winter the jab given to millions had little effect because one of the strains it targeted had already mutated.
Doctors hope the improved vaccine will stop a repeat of that – but the supply issues could hit the vaccination effort.
Dr Richard Vautrey, of the British Medical Association’s GP committee, said: ‘Previously, many patients will have been used to receiving their vaccination on demand from their GP or pharmacist, but because of the phased delivery, this has not been possible this year.
‘However, with the next delivery of vaccines expected this month, we have been assured that there are adequate supplies to vaccinate all those who need it.’
NHS England said: ‘This survey of little more than one per cent of GPs ignores the fact that this week, 100 per cent of vaccines will have been delivered by the manufacturer to those surgeries and pharmacists who placed an order on time, so the public can be assured that there is sufficient supply of the vaccine in stock for everyone to get protected.’