Islamabad faces flu vaccine shortage as winter approaches

Residents of the federal capital are struggling to find seasonal influenza shots as major brands disappear from pharmacies ahead of the winter season.

Major flu vaccine brands including Vaxigrip and Influvac are currently unavailable in Islamabad pharmacies.

DRAP officials state that the Chinese Sinovac vaccine is expected to be available in the market by November 15.

A pricing controversy has emerged over the Virionza vaccine, where barcodes show a price 50% lower than the printed retail price.

The shortage has reportedly led to black market activity with agents taking advance payments for unavailable stock.

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