Flu vaccine supply delayed by safety fears

FEARS of contamination have caused a significant delay in the supply of flu vaccine nationwide and could cost Irish business millions of euro in lost production.

One of the major suppliers of the vaccine had to withdraw its distribution to Ireland when it emerged some of the product had developed sterility problems.

The British supplier, Chiron Vaccines, was to have secured 330,000 doses of the vaccine for Irish health boards. Earlier this month it assured the Department of Health the vaccine would be distributed on time but the problem with supply was later discovered by the Irish Medicines Board.