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| Flu jab for special needs staff | Flu jab for special needs staff |
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| The NI Health Minister has said he is to extend the swine flu vaccination to some staff working at special schools. | The NI Health Minister has said he is to extend the swine flu vaccination to some staff working at special schools. |
| Those staff who provide personal care for pupils at the schools will be offered the vaccine from this week. | Those staff who provide personal care for pupils at the schools will be offered the vaccine from this week. |
| Special needs pupils were among those who received the first dose of the vaccine, but there had been calls for staff to get priority vaccinations too. | Special needs pupils were among those who received the first dose of the vaccine, but there had been calls for staff to get priority vaccinations too. |
| The minister, Michael McGimpsey, said he believed the move will "further protect this vulnerable group". | The minister, Michael McGimpsey, said he believed the move will "further protect this vulnerable group". |
| From this week, arrangements have also been made for other children with special needs and underlying physical health conditions, who are not in special schools to be offered the vaccine. | From this week, arrangements have also been made for other children with special needs and underlying physical health conditions, who are not in special schools to be offered the vaccine. |
| On Monday Mr McGimpsey said: "GPs will now begin to prioritise our supplies of the swine flu vaccination to ensure those most at risk are protected first. | |
| "The swine flu vaccination programme remains the best way to protect the most vulnerable people in our society. I would encourage all those who are offered the vaccine to get it." | "The swine flu vaccination programme remains the best way to protect the most vulnerable people in our society. I would encourage all those who are offered the vaccine to get it." |
| He added that staff who provided personal care to children within special schools were doing "similar work" to frontline health and social care workers who are also a priority group. | |
| "I have asked the Public Health Agency to make arrangements to offer vaccines to this group of staff as quickly as possible," he said. | |
| Vaccines | |
| Mr McGimpsey said there was currently a limited supply of vaccines and the first priority was to protect those most at risk from the complications of swine flu. | |
| "This is why 2,500 children in over 20 special schools for severe learning disability across Northern Ireland were offered the vaccine as a matter of urgency last week," he said. | |
| "This is now largely completed." | |
| It is understood that four of the ten people from Northern Ireland who died after getting swine flu were children with a special needs condition. | It is understood that four of the ten people from Northern Ireland who died after getting swine flu were children with a special needs condition. |
| In the last two weeks two children from Foyleview Special School in Londonderry have died after contracting swine flu. | In the last two weeks two children from Foyleview Special School in Londonderry have died after contracting swine flu. |
| Ashleigh Lynch died on Wednesday. Her fellow pupil, Orla O'Kane, had died the week before. |