Family doctors want to know how and when will they be able to vaccinate their many vulnerable patients.

In a statement on Thursday, the Association of Private Family Doctors (APFD) said it noted the particular circumstances and the patchy supply in which the yearly influenza vaccination is taking place, however, it lamented "the uncharacteristic way" in which patients with chronic diseases who booked their yearly influenza vaccination with their private family doctors have been treated to date.

It said that, at the end of every summer, the Department of Health invited private family doctors to offer the free influenza vaccine to patients with chronic diseases, including patients who are restricted to their home and who would otherwise not get the vaccine.

But although this list was delivered to the Department of Health in September, the booked vaccines have not yet been provided.

In both the October and the November vaccinations programs, the patients with chronic diseases who were encouraged to book the influenza vaccine in the same way they have done for the last years have been bypassed, the doctors said.

Health Minister Chris Fearne said a week ago that the second batch of the flu vaccine will be in Malta "next week" and dismissed concerns that the flu vaccine would again be available in December. 

"Our plan has always been to start administering the second batch and that is still the plan. By the end of next week we will have the 100,000 doses," he said. 

The first batch of 100,000 vaccines were given out in a week, resulting in some people not yet being vaccinated.