Ankara to control flu shot administrations amid shortage

Duvar English

Turkey's Health Ministry will regulate the administration of flu shots through an online prescription system to ensure individuals in high-risk groups for COVID-19 are vaccinated, an official statement said on Oct. 21.

Sold for 72.64 liras a unit, flu shots will only be administered to patients who have a prescription from their family practitioners, who will prioritize individuals who are in risk groups for COVID-19 as "global demand fails to satisfy soaring demand because of the pandemic."

Pharmacists fear Turkey's flu shot supply will fall short of need amid pandemic

Ankara has ordered two shipments of flu shots, one for 1.5 million and another for 850,000 units, although Turkey's high-risk population totals some 10 million.

While some 1,150,000 flu shots were administered in Turkey last year, demand is thought to have at least doubled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Filed under the same category as controlled substances, flu shots will only be provided to pharmacies upon proof of their receipt of prescriptions.

To receive a flu shot, patients will need to obtain a prescription from their family practitioner, report to a pharmacy with said prescription and wait for the pharmacy's request for a shot to be approved on the government's online portal.

As both practitioners and pharmacies will need to use the government portal to obtain a shot, no hand-written prescriptions will be accepted.