This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/health-12128105

The article has changed 6 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Flu killed eleven people last week, HPA says Old pandemic flu vaccine 'to fill jabs shortfall'
(40 minutes later)
Eleven more people have died from flu across the UK, taking the total to 50, the Health Protection Agency says. Old vaccines left over from the swine flu pandemic will be used to plug the shortfall in this winter's supplies.
Of these, 45 died with swine flu and five with another strain, flu type B. The government made the announcement amid reports that GPs in some parts of the country were running out of vaccines.
It comes as the death toll in the flu outbreak climbed by 11 in the past week to reach 50 across the UK.
However, there were signs the number of new infections were beginning to level off, officials said.
The latest figures are hard to interpret because of the Christmas break.
The number of patients going to see their GP with flu fell by a fifth last week, but surgeries were shut for two out of the five days.
Critical care
Meanwhile, the number of cases in hospital has started to fall in the last couple of days, although 783 patients remain seriously ill in critical care in England.
Of the 50 who have died, 45 had swine flu and five another strain, flu type B.
The deaths are mostly among children and young adults, with five cases in the under-fives and eight cases among those aged five to 14.The deaths are mostly among children and young adults, with five cases in the under-fives and eight cases among those aged five to 14.
The government has admitted that some parts of the country are suffering shortages of flu vaccines. Government officials said the figures suggested this outbreak could have peaked.
David Cameron said earlier that the Department of Health is considering using leftover vaccine from the swine flu pandemic to plug the shortfall in jabs this winter. But the move to open up the stockpiles of the pandemic virus shows there is real concern about the supply problems being reported.
He said the Department of Health was "working hard" to tackle the problem after reports that some areas have run out of the flu vaccine. For days, patients and GPs have been coming forward saying there was an issue.
The government confirmed on Wednesday there were "local supply" issues, but denied there was a national shortfall. On Wednesday, the government admitted there were "local supply issues" and said it has asked manufacturers to look across Europe for spare vaccine.
The 2009 vaccine is different from the jab being offered this year, but as swine flu is the dominant strain in circulation it could offer some protection. But it is thought there is very little free which could be used in the UK so the government said it was making the 12m stock of pandemic vaccine available to GPs who needed it.
Mr Cameron said: "There is a national stock of flu vaccine from the pandemic of 2009 and while that vaccine is slightly different... it does have some of the common characteristics. The 2009 vaccine is different from the jab being offered this year, but as swine flu is the dominant strain in circulation it will offer some protection.
"So one of the urgent discussions at the Department of Health right now is to work out whether that vaccine would be useful. Officials said the jabs were still usable as they have a shelf life until the end of 2011.
"We are working hard to make sure we get this right," he said. Interim chief medical officer Dame Sally Davies said: "The message to at-risk groups is if you need the vaccine we have it."
The government has also asked suppliers to see if there are spare vaccines in Europe.
'Mild illness'
Dr Maureen Baker, of the Royal College of GPs, said of this year's flu: "For most it is a mild illness, but when people do get ill they seem to get really ill. It seems to go for the lungs and when that happens people suffer."
In England, the number of patients in critical care has dropped from 851 to 783.