Swine flu vaccination begins today

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3rd November 2009

Swine flu vaccination has now begun. The first people to receive the vaccine will be those with long-term health conditions, pregnant women, people in close contact with someone whose immune system is compromised, and frontline health care staff.

The Chief Medical Officer, Sir Liam Donaldson, said: "This is the first pandemic for which we have had vaccine to protect people.

"I urge everyone in the priority groups to have the vaccine - it will help prevent people in clinical risk groups from getting swine flu and the complications that may arise from it.

Latest swine flu figures update:

Last updated: 17:00 19/11/09
UK swine flu cases have fallen for the second week in a row. There were an estimated 53,000 new infections in the past week, down from 64,000 the week before.

Despite the fall in new infections, the number of people in hospital with the virus remains high, with 783 patients in hospital, 180 of whom are in critical care.

There has been a substantial increase in the number of under-5s in hospital, including in critical care.

There has been a further substantial increase in the number of deaths related to swine flu, with 32 deaths in the UK in the past week. To date, there have been 142 deaths in England, 38 in Scotland, 21 in Wales and 13 in Northern Ireland.

GP consultation rates and use of the National Pandemic Flu Service have stayed roughly the same.

GP consultation rates among school-aged children have risen following a decrease during half-term.

Vaccinations

Virtually all GPs have now received their first supplies of the swine flu vaccine. The 6.6 million doses delivered in the past month are now being used to protect those most susceptible to swine flu, including pregnant women and people with long-term conditions.

The government is also launching an advertising campaign that will explain the importance of receiving the vaccine, which is expected to offer several years of protection against swine flu.

If you suspect you may have swine flu, you can call the NHS Direct line, or visit the web site by clicking here which has a Q & A section to help you identity the symptoms.

Links and Numbers
Department of Health - www.dh.gov.uk
World Health Organisation - www.who.int
National Health Service - www.nhs.uk

Pandemic Flu Infoline
0800 1513 513 - www.pandemicflu.direct.gov.uk

Further documents available here include:

Pandemic Flu Frequently Asked Questions	Pandemic Flu Virus Hygeine Guidance	Swine Flu NHS Advice	VSG BCP Pandemic Flu Policy
Swine Flu Risk Assessment