News - Tamiflu vaccine not available in NZ until May

Commercial stockpiles of the anti-viral medication Tamiflu have run out in New Zealand and will not be available until May next year when the southern hemisphere influenza season starts.


Stuart Knight, sales and marketing director of Roche Products New Zealand confirmed commercial stockpiles of Tamiflu had run out.

"We supply down to pharmaceutical wholesalers, they then distribute down to individual pharmacies.

"We placed our last, very significant, order at the beginning of November, and it would be my belief there is none (currently) available, because there is a significant back order."

Mr Knight said considerable amounts of Tamiflu had already been brought into New Zealand.

"I'm not able to give you absolute numbers but I could say to you that compared to what we normally supply for a seasonal influenza, we've supplied about 120 years' worth of Tamiflu within about a four month period.

New Zealand, world, sport, business & entertainment news on Stuff.co.nz: Tamiflu not available in NZ until May