Demand exceeds supply of measles vaccine in Burnaby
Posted February 25, 2019 7:28 pm.
Last Updated February 26, 2019 11:34 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – If you’re trying to get vaccinated for the measles, you may find it tough to get it done at a pharmacy or walk-in clinic.
NEWS 1130 spoke to 10 establishments in Burnaby on Feb. 25, and found the demand is far outweighing the supply.
Nearly all pharmacies or walk-in clinics we spoke to said they just don’t have any vaccines give.
Pharmacist Lyla Akbari says her shop only has two doses right now, and that probably won’t last long.
“It depends how many patients come to the pharmacy,” she says. “It’s first come, first serve.”
They are advising those who want the vaccine to head to the Burnaby Public Health Unit instead.
Tiffany Akins with Vancouver Coastal Health is preaching patience.
“We are seeing increased demand, which means a little bit longer of a wait, so please do be patient,” she says. “Or, wait a few days and get the vaccination in a few days.”
She says so many people have been calling for information about the measles, some of the phone lines at Coastal Health went down after a flood of calls.
But she emphasizes there’s no vaccine shortage, noting it’s a matter of getting the vaccines out fast enough.
“We have the vaccines but it just might be at another location in the same city maybe a few blocks away,” Akins adds. “So we’re always kind of transporting the vaccine to make sure it is in the places that are more popular.”
