Swine flu: vaccinating entire population
Updated on 12 July 2009
Health chiefs are preparing to vaccinate the entire population against swine flu, in what would be the biggest vaccination programme of the last 50 years. Watch Jane Deith's report.
Experts are already drawing up a priority list of patients to be given immunity before the bug becomes more virulent.
Sixty million doses of swine flu vaccine are on order, with plans to provide enough for the entire British population.
The Department of Health said the first doses are expected next month.
It comes after the first British patient without underlying health problems died after contracting swine flu, taking the number of swine flu-linked deaths in the UK to 15.
A leading GP has called for the government to 'push the button' now if it wants to deliver a mass vaccination programme against swine flu.
Speaking to The Sunday Times, Dr Peter Holden, the British Medical Association's lead negotiator on swine flu, said GPs would need time to prepare, in order to vaccinate the whole country
He warned that other priorities like operations would have to wait.
"People are still making decisions over this, but we want to get cracking before we get a second wave, which is traditionally far more virulent."
He added: "If the virus does (mutate), it can get a lot more nasty, and the idea is to give people immunity.
"But the sheer logistics of dealing with 60 million people can't be underestimated."
The latest swine flu-linked death happened at Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, NHS East of England.
Nearly 10,000 Britons have gone down with swine flu after it spread to the UK from Mexico.
The UK has the third highest case total in the world after Mexico, with 10,262, and the US, which has at least 33,902.
