Swine flu vaccinations begin

Wednesday, 21 October 2009 12:00 AM

By Alex Stevenson

Two million healthcare and social workers and their patients are the first to receive swine flu vaccinations beginning today.

The chief medical officer called on all those in the first wave to be vaccinated, in a bid to limit the impact of the pandemic expected to sweep across Britain this winter.

Those who fall into the 'at-risk' categories will be contacted by their GPs. These include clinical at-risk groups aged between six months and under 65 years; pregnant women; household contacts of people with compromised immune systems; and those over 65 who do not appear to have a natural immunity to the virus.

"It's important for frontline health and social care workers to have the vaccine," Sir Liam Donaldson said.

"It will help prevent them and their families getting the virus from patients, it will stop them passing the virus onto their patients, it will potentially protect them from mutated strains and it will reduce the disruption to NHS services caused by people being absent due to illness."

NHS hospitals are beginning vaccinations from today. GP surgeries will subsequently receive deliveries from next Monday.

Health secretary Andy Burnham was keen to point out that Britain was one of the first countries to receive the vaccine.

"Our best line of defence against swine flu is the vaccine," he said.

"I'm very pleased to say that the UK is one of the first countries in the world to start vaccinating against this virus."

Around 500,000 people have been infected with swine flu since the pandemic began earlier this year. Roughly 100 have died.

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