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| GPs urged to 'speed up' flu jabs | GPs urged to 'speed up' flu jabs |
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| GPs need to go "full throttle" to get as many vulnerable patients as possible vaccinated against swine flu, the government's immunisations chief says. | GPs need to go "full throttle" to get as many vulnerable patients as possible vaccinated against swine flu, the government's immunisations chief says. |
| More than 1m people in the UK have been vaccinated a month into the programme - one in 10 in the priority groups. | |
| Professor David Salisbury said he would have hoped for more at this stage, but accepted doctors were doing their best. | Professor David Salisbury said he would have hoped for more at this stage, but accepted doctors were doing their best. |
| It comes as the number of deaths in a week has hit a record high. The total now stands at 244 - up from 214. | It comes as the number of deaths in a week has hit a record high. The total now stands at 244 - up from 214. |
| This is a reflection of the fact that a greater proportion of people are ending up in hospital and in critical care than at the start of the pandemic. | |
| However, latest figures show the number of new cases of infection is falling or remaining steady across the UK. | |
| Clearly I would have liked a bigger number, but that is what we have so far. I would like to see an acceleration now Professor David Salisbury, head of immunisation at the Department of Health | |
| In England, there were 46,000 cases, down from 53,000. Scotland reported just over 21,000, almost the same as last week. | |
| GPs said the immunisation programme was being slowed down because of the way the vaccines were being delivered to them. | GPs said the immunisation programme was being slowed down because of the way the vaccines were being delivered to them. |
| Doctors have to mix the doses themselves because the vaccine has a 24-hour self-life. | |
| However, each batch contains 10 doses, meaning GPs have to be confident they can vaccinate that many patients within a day or else the jabs have to be thrown away. | However, each batch contains 10 doses, meaning GPs have to be confident they can vaccinate that many patients within a day or else the jabs have to be thrown away. |
| Dr Richard Vautrey, of the British Medical Association, said: "With seasonal flu we can vaccinate opportunistically - when patients come in for other appointments. | |
| "But because of the way the swine flu one is being manufactured we have to make sure we have enough patients so the vaccine is not wasted. | |
| "It is slowing it down, but to be fair I think it needed to be that way to get the amount we needed manufactured." | |
| He also said the programme was taking time as some doctors would have only received their first batches in the last week or two. | |
| Up-take | |
| However, there have also been suggestions not all the priority groups want the jab. | |
| There are more than 11m people earmarked for it in the first wave, including pregnant women and people with health problems. | |
| But there have been reports some areas are only expecting a 50% up-take, while a recent BBC survey found nearly half of people had doubts about vaccination. | |
| The 1m-plus figure is based on data collected by 40% of practices in England. | |
| Professor Salisbury said he was still hoping the initial groups would be completed in time for Christmas and urged GPs to go "full throttle". | |
| He added: "Clearly I would have liked a bigger number, but that is what we have so far. I would like to see an acceleration now." | |
| There are no overall figures for up-take among health and social care workers - about 2m are being offered the jab - although the government said anecdotal evidence suggested many were coming forward. |