Flu Vaccines Pakistan 2026: Official Confirmed Update

Confusion over flu vaccines Pakistan supply grew after medical stores in Lahore reported missing brands, but Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal has rejected claims of a nationwide shortage. Speaking to Geo News, he said vaccines are present in the market and several brands can still be bought.

The difference, he explained, is between a full shortage and the absence of a few named products. Two multinational brands are not being imported right now, while a Chinese manufactured vaccine is available, though shopkeepers say its supply is also limited.

That is why patients are asking a simple question. If vaccines are available, why are familiar brands missing from shelves, and why has the price of the available dose gone up?

Why Flu Vaccines Pakistan Shelves Look Empty in Lahore

Medical store owners in Lahore told Geo News that flu vaccines were largely unavailable in the city. They said only the Chinese manufactured vaccine had reached the market, and that too in limited quantities.

Shopkeepers also reported a clear price change at the counter. A dose that was earlier sold for Rs1,200 is now being sold for Rs1,640, according to the store owners.

The missing products are vaccines made by two multinational companies. Those imports have not moved because the federal cabinet has not yet fixed the prices requested for them.

Key facts from the official statements and market reports are given below.

• Kamal says there is no nationwide shortage.
• Specific multinational brands, including Abbott, are missing.
• Lahore stores say only a Chinese vaccine is reaching them, in limited quantity.
• The reported price has risen from Rs1,200 to Rs1,640.
• Imports by two companies await cabinet price approval.
• Experts advise elderly people to take the vaccine in September.

Kamal accepted that one brand had refused to keep selling at the existing price and had asked for an increase. He said that request may well be justified, but it cannot be approved by one office on its own.

What Happens Next on Vaccine Prices

The price file has already moved through several official stages. Officials at the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan, known as DRAP, said the regulator worked out the proposed price in December last year and sent the matter to the health ministry.

From there, the case passed through government committees. A cabinet subcommittee headed by the finance minister completed its work and sent its proposals to the cabinet through the prime minister.

Final approval now rests with the federal cabinet. Until that decision is taken, the two multinational brands at the centre of the dispute are unlikely to return in normal quantity.

Kamal also explained the legal limit on his own office. He said no minister and not even DRAP can fix a drug price alone, because the law reserves price approval for the federal cabinet.

Readers can follow more national updates at Verified Pakistan.

Minister Defends the Chinese Manufactured Vaccine

When Kamal was asked why vaccines other than the Chinese manufactured product were not available, he defended the product that is in the market. He asked what the issue was with that vaccine and whether there was any problem with it.

The minister said the vaccine had been approved by the relevant authorities. He added that no tablet, drug or dose can be sold in Pakistan without approval from DRAP.

Still, the Lahore reports show why confidence matters. Limited quantity, a higher price and missing familiar brands can make an officially available product feel hard to find.

Medical experts quoted in the report said elderly people are generally advised to receive the flu vaccine in September. They said vaccination helps improve immunity among elderly people and patients, so timing matters at the start of the flu season.

For families, the position today is mixed. The government says flu vaccines Pakistan supply exists, shopkeepers say choice is narrow, and the cabinet decision will decide when the missing brands return.

This story was fact checked against the minister statement and market reports by Geo News.

Insulin Shortage Raised in National Assembly

A separate medicine supply issue was raised in the National Assembly on the same day. Lawmaker Amna Batool drew the attention of the house to a shortage of insulin, a daily need for many diabetes patients.

Parliamentary Secretary Nelson Azeem replied that the shortage was linked to an imported product coming from Germany. He said supply problems for that product were also affecting Europe.

Azeem said the situation would improve once supplies resumed, and he noted that an alternative insulin product was available for use.

He also gave a figure that shows the scale of the drop. Pakistan previously received 3,500 insulin kits of the product, but that number has now fallen to 1,000.

Kamal had separately conceded a temporary insulin shortage in his interview and said DRAP had been asked for a report. That report, and the return of normal imports, will be watched closely by patients who cannot delay their doses.

Taken together, the two debates show a wider pressure on medicine supply, and patients feel it first when a familiar product disappears.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1: Is there a shortage of flu vaccines in Pakistan?

Mustafa Kamal says there is no nationwide shortage. Several brands are available, but specific multinational brands are missing because their prices have not yet been approved by the federal cabinet.

Q2: What is the price of a flu vaccine in Pakistan right now?

Lahore store owners said the available dose that earlier cost Rs1,200 is now selling for Rs1,640. They said only a Chinese manufactured vaccine is reaching the market, in limited quantities.

Q3: Why are multinational flu vaccine brands unavailable?

The two companies have not imported their vaccines because the federal cabinet has not yet determined their prices. DRAP prepared the proposed price last December, and a cabinet subcommittee has sent its recommendations forward.