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| Flu vaccine policy for children defended | Flu vaccine policy for children defended |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Children under five were not included in this year's flu vaccination programme because of medical and not cost grounds, the government says. | |
| Health Secretary Andrew Lansley accepted independent advice not to repeat last year's jabs for children, the Department of Health said. | Health Secretary Andrew Lansley accepted independent advice not to repeat last year's jabs for children, the Department of Health said. |
| It said its policy was based on age and risk factors and was always under review. | It said its policy was based on age and risk factors and was always under review. |
| Labour has criticised a lack of protection for young children. | Labour has criticised a lack of protection for young children. |
| The independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) issues seasonal vaccine advice and recommended that healthy children under five were not at risk, officials said. | |
| For its advice during 2009's swine flu outbreak, it had recommended healthy under-5s be vaccinated. | For its advice during 2009's swine flu outbreak, it had recommended healthy under-5s be vaccinated. |
| In a statement, committee chairman Prof Andrew Hall said: "The JCVI has never recommended that children under five who are not in an at-risk group be vaccinated as part of the seasonal flu programme. | |
| "All children under five were routinely vaccinated during the pandemic flu vaccination programme, but in line with previous years and the current evidence, the JCVI did not recommend healthy children under five were vaccinated against flu during the current season." | |
| Careful monitoring | Careful monitoring |
| Responding to media reports that the decision was a cost-cutting measure to save £85m, the Department of Health said: "Our influenza immunisation programme has been designed to protect those particularly at risk from serious disease, either from influenza itself or in whom influenza would make their underlying disease worse. | |
| "This means that we use an age and risk group-based approach in line with most other countries that have seasonal influenza vaccination programmes. | "This means that we use an age and risk group-based approach in line with most other countries that have seasonal influenza vaccination programmes. |
| "We continue to monitor the current situation very carefully and JCVI keeps the policy for seasonal influenza vaccination under review as well." | "We continue to monitor the current situation very carefully and JCVI keeps the policy for seasonal influenza vaccination under review as well." |
| Mr Lansley told the BBC that people should not be concerned about the vaccine. | Mr Lansley told the BBC that people should not be concerned about the vaccine. |
| "The seasonal flu vaccine is decided internationally by the World Health Organization, we can see now that this swine flu, plus influenza B plus another flu strain is circulating. The flu vaccine is an effective vaccination against that. | "The seasonal flu vaccine is decided internationally by the World Health Organization, we can see now that this swine flu, plus influenza B plus another flu strain is circulating. The flu vaccine is an effective vaccination against that. |
| "People who are at risk, and indeed pregnant women and over-65s, should be taking up the offer of vaccination, they have been contacted by their GP surgeries." | "People who are at risk, and indeed pregnant women and over-65s, should be taking up the offer of vaccination, they have been contacted by their GP surgeries." |
| Shadow health secretary John Healey accused ministers of leaving children at risk. | Shadow health secretary John Healey accused ministers of leaving children at risk. |
| "The serious problem lies with the groups that are most at risk, like children. That has come because the government axed the annual advertising campaign and they cancelled the flu jab plan for the under-fives," he told the Daily Mail. | "The serious problem lies with the groups that are most at risk, like children. That has come because the government axed the annual advertising campaign and they cancelled the flu jab plan for the under-fives," he told the Daily Mail. |
| The department said the plan had not been "cancelled" and Mr Lansley insisted that the publicity campaign was not needed. | The department said the plan had not been "cancelled" and Mr Lansley insisted that the publicity campaign was not needed. |
| "There is no additional merit in a vaccination advertising campaign for the general population when there is already a targeted approach for those who need to be called," he said. | "There is no additional merit in a vaccination advertising campaign for the general population when there is already a targeted approach for those who need to be called," he said. |
| Critical care | Critical care |
| Figures published by the Health Protection Agency on 24 December showed the number of people in critical care with confirmed or suspected flu in England had risen to 460 - more than double the number of a week before. | Figures published by the Health Protection Agency on 24 December showed the number of people in critical care with confirmed or suspected flu in England had risen to 460 - more than double the number of a week before. |
| Of those, 366 were aged between 16 and 64, 51 were aged 65 and over, 26 were under five and another 17 were aged between five and 15. | Of those, 366 were aged between 16 and 64, 51 were aged 65 and over, 26 were under five and another 17 were aged between five and 15. |
| Of the 27 people to have died from flu this season so far, nine were children. Among the fatalities, 24 had swine flu. Three suffered from another strain, flu type B. | Of the 27 people to have died from flu this season so far, nine were children. Among the fatalities, 24 had swine flu. Three suffered from another strain, flu type B. |
| This year's vaccine protects against H1N1, the same strain of flu behind last year's swine flu pandemic, and also protects against the H3N2 and B strain. | This year's vaccine protects against H1N1, the same strain of flu behind last year's swine flu pandemic, and also protects against the H3N2 and B strain. |
| Professor John Oxford, a virologist at Barts and the Royal London, said the current statistics for flu cases were "unsettling", and could worsen over the next week. | Professor John Oxford, a virologist at Barts and the Royal London, said the current statistics for flu cases were "unsettling", and could worsen over the next week. |
| "The thing about this swine flu is that it doesn't go for elderly people, it doesn't go for anyone over the age of 60. It's going for youth and that's a rather unusual situation that we're all grasping with. | "The thing about this swine flu is that it doesn't go for elderly people, it doesn't go for anyone over the age of 60. It's going for youth and that's a rather unusual situation that we're all grasping with. |
| "The vaccine campaign in the past have concentrated on the over-65s. From now on they're going to have to concentrate as well on youth, and young people are the most difficult to persuade either that they've got something or to go into their doctor and get something." | "The vaccine campaign in the past have concentrated on the over-65s. From now on they're going to have to concentrate as well on youth, and young people are the most difficult to persuade either that they've got something or to go into their doctor and get something." |
| Are you or your children suffering from flu? How do you think the health authorities have handled the situation? Send us your experiences using the form below. | Are you or your children suffering from flu? How do you think the health authorities have handled the situation? Send us your experiences using the form below. |