Concerns rise over UK flu outbreak amid vaccine delays

By PAN PYLAS
Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — One of the U.K.’s largest suppliers of seasonal influenza vaccines warns there could be delivery delays of up to two weeks as a result of a shortage of truck drivers. In a statement that has accentuated concerns about the potential scale of this winter’s flu outbreak, vaccine company Seqirus blamed “unforeseen challenges linked with road freight delays” for the disruption to deliveries in England and Wales. The company said Saturday it “is working hard to resolve the delay.” Though the severity of flu outbreaks vary each year, there are concerns that past lockdowns put in place to combat the coronavirus pandemic might make U.K. residents more susceptible to the flu in the coming months.