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Pregnant to get swine flu vaccine At risk to get flu vaccine first
(30 minutes later)
A swine flu vaccination campaign will be launched in the autumn starting with pregnant women and those with underlying health conditions. A swine flu vaccination campaign will be launched across the UK in the autumn, but only certain at risk groups will be given the jab to start with.
In total, 54.6 million doses of pandemic vaccine are planned to be delivered by December. Those with underlying health conditions up to the age of 65 have been identified as the first priority followed by pregnant women.
In total, 54.6m doses of the jab are planned to be delivered by December - enough for nearly half the population.
Those eligible will need to have two doses of the vaccine.Those eligible will need to have two doses of the vaccine.
Chief Medical Officer Professor Sir Liam Donaldson said the vaccine was going through similar safety testing as seasonal flu vaccine. We have a real chance to save lives if we can get the vaccine in place Sir Liam Donaldson, chief medical officer
The vaccine programme is due to roll out as follows: Chief Medical Officer Sir Liam Donaldson said the vaccine was going through similar safety testing as seasonal flu vaccine.
  • In October, those aged six months to 65-years-old in conventional at-risk groups for normal seasonal flu, such as those with diabetes or heart disease, will be vaccinated.
    		•  He added: "We have a real chance to save lives if we can get the vaccine in place.
  • This will be followed by all pregnant women, subject to licensing arrangements and better information on when in the pregnancy the vaccine should be given.
    		•  "We are putting up a real fight against this virus."
  • People living in households with patients with suppressed immune systems and those over 65 in conventional at-risk groups will then be eligible.
    		•  The vaccine programme is due to roll out as follows if it is granted approval by European regulators in late September or early October as expected:
  • By the middle of winter, the government hopes to have enough evidence to decide whether the campaign should be extended to healthy people.
    		•  • In October, those aged six months to 65-years-old in conventional at-risk groups for normal seasonal flu, such as those with diabetes or heart disease, will be vaccinated.
    So far 300,000 doses of the vaccine have been delivered by the manufacturers, the government said. • This will be followed by all pregnant women, subject to licensing arrangements and better information on when in the pregnancy the vaccine should be given.
    For the 2007/08 flu season the Department of Health ordered more than 15 million doses of flu vaccine. • People living in households with patients with suppressed immune systems and those over 65 in conventional at-risk groups will then be eligible.
    The number of people newly diagnosed with swine flu continues to fall, with an estimated 25,000 new cases in England in the last week compared with 30,000 last week.
  • Front-line health and social care workers will then be vaccinated.
    • In total, 371 patients are currently in hospital as a result of swine flu and 44 deaths have been linked with the virus. • By the middle of winter, the government hopes to have enough evidence to decide whether the campaign should be extended to healthy people.
    Cases are expected to continue falling over the summer with a surge in the autumn after children go back to school. Many people had expected children to be among the first wave of priority groups.
    But experts ruled this out because while they have been the worst hit in terms of the number of cases it is mainly those with underlying health conditions that have developed complications.
    Sir Liam said: "We have to protect the most vulnerable first."
    Vaccine
    So far 300,000 doses of the vaccine have been delivered by the two manufacturers contracted by the government.
    But this will increase dramatically in the coming months, although the 54.6m prediction is still less than expected as one of the firms, Baxter, has had trouble developing enough virus to make the vaccine.
    It is envisaged those who are also eligible for the seasonal flu vaccine will get both jabs in one go.
    However, the UK health departments are still in discussions with the British Medical Association about how GPs will administer the programme.
    The announcement about the vaccine programme comes as the number of newly diagnosed with swine flu continues to fall.
    There was an estimated 25,000 new cases in England in the last week compared with 30,000 the previous one.
    In Scotland there were more than 3,000 cases and in Wales more than 1,600. Northern Ireland has seen less than 100 cases since the outbreak began.
    In total, 49 people across the UK have died with swine flu - nine in the past week.
    New cases are expected to continue falling over the summer with a surge in the autumn after children go back to school.