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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| Swine flu vaccine talks under way | Swine flu vaccine talks under way |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| The government is making plans to offload millions of doses of swine flu vaccine amid predictions a "third wave" of the pandemic is unlikely to happen. | The government is making plans to offload millions of doses of swine flu vaccine amid predictions a "third wave" of the pandemic is unlikely to happen. |
| Officials are in discussion with manufacturer GSK over contracts for remaining doses purchased by the UK. | Officials are in discussion with manufacturer GSK over contracts for remaining doses purchased by the UK. |
| Options include selling surplus vaccine and donating it to poorer countries but a stockpile will remain in place. | Options include selling surplus vaccine and donating it to poorer countries but a stockpile will remain in place. |
| Cases of swine flu have now dropped dramatically to well below what is usually seen in winter flu outbreaks. | Cases of swine flu have now dropped dramatically to well below what is usually seen in winter flu outbreaks. |
| Last week France announced it was selling millions of doses of swine flu vaccine after finding they had more than enough to cope with the outbreak. | Last week France announced it was selling millions of doses of swine flu vaccine after finding they had more than enough to cope with the outbreak. |
| We have to keep a stockpile for ourselves anyway because we don't know what's going to happen in 2010 Professor David Salisbury, head of immunisation | |
| The UK bought 60m doses of swine flu vaccine from GSK and 30m from Baxter but the smaller contract had a break clause should the doses not be needed. | |
| To date 23.9m doses of GSK vaccine have been delivered for immunisation of priority groups in the UK as well as 5m Baxter vaccines. | To date 23.9m doses of GSK vaccine have been delivered for immunisation of priority groups in the UK as well as 5m Baxter vaccines. |
| An official figure for the cost of the vaccine to the UK has never been given but it is likely to run into hundreds of millions. | |
| Discussions | Discussions |
| Government immunisation lead Professor David Salisbury said: "We are in discussion with GSK about future supplies of the vaccine. | Government immunisation lead Professor David Salisbury said: "We are in discussion with GSK about future supplies of the vaccine. |
| "We have to keep a stockpile for ourselves anyway because we don't know what's going to happen in 2010. | "We have to keep a stockpile for ourselves anyway because we don't know what's going to happen in 2010. |
| "If there was a resurgence we would look very foolish if we had disposed of a valuable stockpile." | "If there was a resurgence we would look very foolish if we had disposed of a valuable stockpile." |
| He added that it remains important for high-risk groups, such as those with underlying illness and the under fives to be immunised as they are more likely to have severe complications. | He added that it remains important for high-risk groups, such as those with underlying illness and the under fives to be immunised as they are more likely to have severe complications. |
| Although the number of cases of swine flu has fallen to a low of below 5,000 in England in the past week, the number of people in hospital after being infected has not dropped to the same extent. | Although the number of cases of swine flu has fallen to a low of below 5,000 in England in the past week, the number of people in hospital after being infected has not dropped to the same extent. |
| There has also been a striking increase in critical care admissions in the over 65s who make up a quarter of the 103 patients currently taking up intensive care beds. | There has also been a striking increase in critical care admissions in the over 65s who make up a quarter of the 103 patients currently taking up intensive care beds. |
| VACCINE UPTAKE Around a third of those in initial priority groups - including those with underlying health problems - have had the swine flu vaccineRoughly one in five pregnant women have been immunisedAmong healthcare workers, 37% have had the vaccineSo far 86,000 under fives have been vaccinated | |
| This could partly be due to the cold weather but the reason is not yet entirely clear. | This could partly be due to the cold weather but the reason is not yet entirely clear. |
| Since swine flu was first reported in April 2009 there have been 360 deaths across the UK - 251 in England, 28 in Wales, 64 in Scotland and 17 in Northern Ireland - mostly in people with underlying health conditions. | Since swine flu was first reported in April 2009 there have been 360 deaths across the UK - 251 in England, 28 in Wales, 64 in Scotland and 17 in Northern Ireland - mostly in people with underlying health conditions. |
| Chief Medical Officer, Sir Liam Donaldson, said they would be calculating the economic costs of the pandemic at a later date. | |
| "We're in the 21st century and people do not need to die from vaccine preventable illnesses. | |
| "We want to prevent deaths, people going to hospital and that's generally been the approach we have taken." | |
| Ian Dalton, national director of NHS flu resilience, said NHS staff were making huge efforts to keep services going amid pressures caused by the current cold weather. | |
| "All the work done with flu preparedness will help us in the adverse conditions," he said. |