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Swine Flu vaccination programme extension
The Department of Health has announced that the swine flu vaccination programme will be extended to offer children over six months and under five protection against the virus. Extending the vaccination programme to young children is supported by the panel of experts that provide advice on vaccination issues - the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) - as children under five years of age are more likely than other groups to be hospitalised if they become ill with swine flu. Young children also have high rates of admission to critical care and there have been some deaths in this age group.
Vaccination of people in clinical risk groups is well under way, with more than seven million doses of vaccine already distributed. Vaccinating these groups remains a priority to protect those at greatest risk from swine flu i.e. people with clinical risk factors, and frontline health and social care staff. DH is working with the BMA and NHS organisations to agree operational details so that young children can be offered the vaccine once the vaccination of priority groups is completed. Parents of children who are over six months and under five years should wait to be contacted by their local surgery, and will be urged to take up the offer of vaccination as the swine flu vaccine is the most effective protection against the virus.
DH has placed orders for enough vaccine for the whole UK population, and significantly more stock of Pandemrix should be available from the end of the month, enabling the programme’s extension.
Three letters have been issued to support the announcement of this second phase and can be accessed by clicking here. The first letter covers Social Care. The second, from Ian Dalton, explains the extension of the programme, the next group for consideration (carers of older or disabled people) and the approach expected to be taken for wider extension, vaccination in the private healthcare section and reinforcement of the message for vaccination of pregnant women. The third letter from Sir Liam Donaldson has been copied to all community pharmacists.
Posted 25 November 2009