Swine flu jabs on the way (From Bournemouth Echo)

Swine flu jabs on the way

9:00am Thursday 22nd October 2009 in

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SWINE flu vaccination is due to start in Dorset from the beginning of next month – with front line health and social care workers at the head of the queue.

Deliveries of the vaccine are expected to start arriving at hospitals from Monday.

The Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals and Poole Hospital plan to begin inoculating their staff – and ‘at risk’ patients – on November 2.

GPs are receiving the vaccine in the next three to four weeks at which point they will be contacting at risk patients.

Contingency plans have been made in case there is a postal strike.

Priority will be given to people between six months and 65 years old who are already in the at- risk groups for seasonal flu. They include anyone with chronic respi ratory, heart or kidney dis ease, diabetics, and those with compromised immune systems, for example, people being treated for can cer.

After that, pregnant women will be next in line for the vaccine, fol lowed by people in regu lar close contact with those with compromised immune systems, then people of 65 and over in the ‘at risk’ groups.

Most patients can expect to receive GlaxoSmith Kline’s Pandemrix vacci nation, which offers pro tection with a single injec tion.

NHS Bournemouth and Poole says most people who normally qualify for a seasonal flu jab will be able to have the swine flu jab at the same time.

The only exception is other wise healthy over- 65s, who will not be offered the swine flu jab because they appear to have some natural resistance to the virus.

Chief Medical Officer Sir Liam Donaldson said: “This is the first pandem ic for which we have had a vaccine to protect peo ple. I urge everyone in the priority groups to have it.”

Although the Department of Health has ordered enough swine flu vaccine for everyone in the UK, any decision on whether to use it on the wider population will depend on how the pan demic evolves.

Researchers at Southampton University are enrolling 250 children aged six months to 12 years for a regional study comparing the two types of swine flu vaccine bought by the Department of Heath. To register an interest see link below.