The UK could be facing winter flu epidemic because of an ineffective jab, it has been claimed.
Laboratories have reportedly been unable to collect all the data needed to develop an updated jab during the pandemic.
It is is created to protect against several strains of the virus.
In February, the World Health Organisation (WHO) advised on what to include in flu vaccines for countries in the northern hemisphere.
But a pharmaceutical company that develops vaccines is concerned about the lack of influenza data which was collected during the Covid pandemic and could mean the jab being ineffective against some flu variants.
There has been a 62% drop in shipments of influenza surveillance samples due to countries having closed their borders and restricted travel during the coronavirus pandemic.
These factors plus a lower natural immunity to the flu among the general population and high levels of Covid, could put pressure on the NHS.
Dr Beverly Taylor, a expert at pharmaceutical company Seqirus which provides flu Jabs to the UK, told the Daily Telegraph: “We saw quite a big reduction in the labs supplying the genetic sequence data to WHO, and around September last year we saw a 94% drop in the genetic sequence data that was reported into the database.
“So this has had a massive impact in the reporting. We could have reduced the opportunity to identify viruses as they emerge.
"We certainly have reduced the opportunity to look at which vaccines would give the best overall protection and the best coverage of all the circulating viruses.
“What we’re actually seeing is influenza in geographical pockets, so it’s very difficult to tell which one is going to be the winner. We could see a mismatch for at least one of the subtypes"
The Department of Health and Social Care announced in July it would be rolling out this winter its biggest flu jab scheme “in history”
An estimated 35 million people will be offered the jab after the success of the Covid-19 vaccination roll-out.
It will be offered to all children aged two and three and all children in primary school and in secondary school up to year 11.
Those aged six months to under 50 years old in “clinical risk groups”, pregnant women will also offered the jab,
People aged 50 and over, unpaid carers, close contacts of those with compromised immune systems and frontline health and adult social care staff, will also be among the first to receive it.
Health and social care secretary Sajid Javid said the Government wanted to build a wall of protection by immunising a record number of people.
He said: “With the nation getting closer to normal life, we must learn to live with Covid-19 alongside other viruses and we’re offering the free flu jab to millions more people to help keep them safe this winter.
“The phenomenal scale of the Covid-19 vaccination programme is a clear demonstration of the positive impact vaccination can make and I encourage all those eligible to get their flu jab when called forward.”
