Flu Vaccination Campaign

You may have heard that the Department of Health are offering a swine flu vaccination to everyone in the country. The task of organising and giving these injections falls to GPs. Logistically, this is difficult. Just storing the huge number of vaccines needed is a problem, whilst administering the vaccine and still seeing patients and providing our usual clinics will be a challenge.
In an attempt to manage this potentially massive workload we have split this years flu campaign into two parts.

 

Usual Flu jabs

From September, we will offer the ordinary annual flu jab to all over 65s. Appointments can be made via reception in the usual way. The clinics will be on 26th September and 10th October.

 

Swine Flu

The National Swine Flu Vaccination program is due to begin in mid-October and, in accordance with new information from the Department of Health regarding priority groups, patients will be prioritised to receive the H1N1(swine flu) vaccine, in a particular order. So, from mid October we will offer the ordinary annual flu jab AND the Swine Flu vaccination to all at risk patients, as outlined below:

 

• People aged over 6 months and under 65 years in current seasonal flu at –risk groups including;
  • Chronic Respiratory Disease, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD),
  • Asthma
  • Chronic Heart Disease, such as heart failure,
  • Chronic Kidney Disease, such as kidney failure
  • Chronic Liver Disease, such as chronic hepatitis
  • Chronic Neurological Disease, such as Parkinson's disease,
  • Diabetes requiring insulin or oral hypoglycaemic drugs
  • Immunosuppression (a suppressed immune system), due to disease or treatment.
• All pregnant women, subject to licensing conditions on trimesters;
• Household contacts of people with compromised immune systems e.g. people in regular close contact with patients on treatment for cancer;
• People aged 65 and over in the current seasonal flu vaccine clinical at-risk groups.

A course of 2 vaccinations is recommended. For more information click here.

People aged 65 will only qualify for the first round of swine flu vaccinations if they are in one of the above at risk groups.

In summary

 

if you are fit and well and over 65, make an appointment for one of the flu clinics that are being held on September 26th and October 10th. This is for the usual annual flu jab only.

 

If you are in an ‘at risk’ group, no matter what your age, you can have your annual flu jab and your swine flu jab, if required, in Mid October – dates will be finalised when the DOH confirms delivery of the vaccines. This is because you, along with pregnant women, have been designated by the Department of Health as the first group eligible to have the swine flu vaccination. We will therefore offer both the usual annual flu jab AND the swine flu vaccination at these clinics, though you do not have to have the swine flu if you do not want it. You can make your mind up on the day.

 

Tel: 01606 836 481   Email: lorraine.carter@gp-n81039.nhs.uk
Middlewich Medical Centre, The Oaklands Medical Centre, St Ann's Walk, Middlewich, Cheshire, CW10 9BE.
Last Updated on Tuesday, 25 August, 2009