Swine Flu vaccine

The secretary of state for health has confirmed which priority groups will be given the first doses of swine flu vaccine, which is expected to arrive in October.

While the government has orderded enough vaccine for the entire population this will take time to produce, and so the most vulnerable groups will be given priority to receive initial stocks of the jab.

Andy Burnham said that the earliest doses of vaccine would be given to at-risk groups in the following order:

• People aged between six months and 65 years in the clinically at-risk groups for seasonal flu
• Pregnant women, subject to licensing by the European Medicines Agency, which will indicate whether it can be given throughout pregnancy or only at certain stages of pregnancy
• Household contacts of people with compromised immune systems
• People aged 65 and over in the current seasonal flu vaccine clinical at-risk groups

The health secretary said: “Although the virus has so far proved to be mild in most people, for others it has been more serious. By vaccinating high-risk groups first, we aim to protect those most vulnerable to this virus”. He also confirmed that frontline health and social care workers will also begin to be vaccinated at the same time as the first at-risk group.

At-risk groups

At-risk groups will be the same as for seasonal flu vaccination, and include people with serious heart disease, diabetes, and those with weakened immune systems due to cancer treatment.

The list has been drawn up according to advice from independent experts at the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, which reviewed the evidence and advised the Department of Health on the crucial risk groups to be offered vaccination to help prevent serious illness.

A vaccination programme for the rest of the population will be based on the evolution of the pandemic as well as new clinical data on the use of the vaccine.

People in the priority groups outlined above do not need to take any action yet. Further announcements will be made as the vaccination strategy progresses, and those who need a vaccine will be contacted.

Weekly pandemic flu update

Other key points made at this week’s briefing by the chief medical officer (CMO) included:

• There has been a further reduction in the rates of flu-like illness and related activity this week. There were an estimated 25,000 new cases last week compared to 110,000 new cases two weeks before.
• Weekly GP consultation rates decreased over the last week in England.
• There are 371 patients in hospital with swine flu, 39 of whom are in critical care.
• There have been 44 confirmed deaths in England, bringing the UK total to 49.
• There is still no sign of the virus mutating into a more dangerous form, or developing resistance to drugs.

Vaccine progress

The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed last week that the first swine flu vaccines are likely to be licensed for use in the general population in September. Initial batches of an H1N1 vaccine have already been produced, and clinical trials are underway.

"The quality controls on today's vaccine are much better than they were 30 years ago," said the WHO, which also oversees the safety checks on the seasonal flu jab.