Hobart pharmacies are reporting long waiting lists for meningococcal disease vaccines as hundreds of people try to get their hands on the jab.
Two new cases of meningococcal disease were confirmed in Hobart yesterday, bringing the number to five in less than two weeks, one of them fatal.
Kingston resident Heather Williams said she had experience trouble finding the B-strain vaccine for herself and four children.
"I tried four chemists and some could get it faster than others," she said.
"[One chemist] could get the vaccine in 24 hours, so I went with that one.
"There is definitely a shortage."
Ms Williams said vaccinating her family would cost her $1,200.
"I'm not risking my children's heath and life over money," she said.
Chemists running lists for vaccine
North Hobart pharmacist Simone Stewart said they had searched high and low to source the vaccine.
"I think we tried four or five suppliers to try to get some," she said.
"We chased down a wholesaler on Monday morning because we knew this would be an issue but they're going out as soon as they come in the door."
Ms Stewart said they were putting customers on a waiting list.
"I've had three calls in the past hour," she said.
"There's been a huge influx in scripts and also queries — so phone calls and over-the-counter enquiries about it."
New Town pharmacist Jon Mathers said he had been bombarded with scripts for the vaccine.
"I've probably cycled through over 100 individual injections in the last two days," he said.
"The phone has been ringing all day with people trying to track it down and concerned about whether they're going to be able to get it."
Mr Mathews said there was 60 people on his pharmacy's vaccine waiting list.
"We've got a bit of stock left after that but the wholesalers are all out again as of this evening, so I don't know where our next stock is coming from once we get through what we've got at the moment," he said.
Robert Booy from the University of Sydney Medical School said those in high-risk age groups should get vaccinated.
"We have to focus on the age groups that are most at risk, so offering vaccines to one-year-olds is important because they're at high risk," Professor Booy said.
"Offering vaccines to 15- to 19-year-olds, that's important too, and perhaps 20- to 24-year-olds can go out and ask for the vaccine because they're at slightly higher risk too."
