Concern over flu vaccine plan
Updated on 13 August 2009
People at greatest risk from swine flu will not be completely vaccinated until December, it has emerged.
The Department of Health announced that one of their vaccine suppliers Baxter Healthcare, would be unable to deliver the expected number of doses of vaccine against the H1N1 pandemic strain.
Meanwhile the overall number of cases of swine flu continues to decline nationwide.
Experts expect the trend to continue while schools and universities are on holiday.
A total of 371 patients are in hospital over swine flu and the number of deaths linked to the virus is 44.
Chief Medical Officer Sir Liam Donaldson said people in priority groups would begin receiving vaccinations in October.
Vaccination trials are taking place in England and across Europe this month.
Who's a 'priority'?
In order of priority, people aged six months to 65-years-old in conventional at-risk groups for normal seasonal flu will receive the vaccine first.
This will be followed by all pregnant women subject to licensing arrangements on the most suitable trimester to give the jab, people living in households with patients with suppressed immune systems and those over 65 in conventional at-risk groups.
At the same time, frontline health and social care workers will be vaccinated to keep essential services running, such as in hospitals.
Those covered by seasonal flu at-risk groups at the moment include diabetics, asthmatics and people with heart disease.
