The MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency) has temporarily suspended Chiron Vaccines licence to manufacture Fluvirin influenza vaccine at its Speke factory, for a period of 3 months with immediate effect. This only affects Fluvirin.

As a result of this action the company will not be able to release any batches of their Fluvirin influenza vaccine to any market.

Nobody has this vaccine yet, or has been immunised with it.

Although Chiron were only due to supply a small proportion of our overall flu vaccine, we made contingency arrangements to ensure that adequate stocks would be available to meet any potential shortfall and to minimise the impact any delay would have on the flu programme.

We have alerted and updated Flu Immunisation Co-ordinators in England to the issue and advised where additional stocks of flu vaccine can be sourced.

Copies of these letters are provided below.

Download Flu Immunisation Co-ordinators Letter (PDF, 129K)

Download Flu Immunisation Co-ordinators Follow-up Letter (PDF, 110K)

http://www.dh.gov.uk