Flu vaccine trickles in to US bases in Europe, but there’s still not enough for everyone

Many Americans affiliated with the U.S. military in Europe haven’t been able to get flu shots this year, due to delays in delivering the vaccine that officials are struggling to explain.

Military and health officials have said the inoculations are particularly important this year, as they would help reduce the impact of contagious respiratory illnesses on the broader population and ease the burden on the health care system during the overlapping flu season and coronavirus pandemic.

But even as some U.S. bases in Japan wrapped up their flu vaccination drives in October and others are in the process of completing them, many Americans in Europe are waiting to be inoculated.