Swine flu vaccinations to start next week

Thu Oct 15 2009 18:46:52

A date has been set for the start of the swine flu vaccination programme in Britain.

The country's chief medical officer Sir Liam Donaldson has confirmed: "The programme will be rolling from next week".

A total of 415,000 doses of GlaxoSmithKline's Pandemrix shot will be delivered from October 21 to immunise high-risk patients in hospitals and front-line healthcare workers.

From the week beginning October 26, 4.4 million doses of the same vaccine will be delivered to general practitioners for patients in priority groups.

The Government has previously said the first to be immunised would be about 5 million people aged over six months in current seasonal flu risk groups.

All pregnant women, those who are in contact with people with compromised immune systems and about 2 million health and social care workers are also in line for the jab.

Meanwhile, a pregnant teenager from Scotland has died of swine flu and an Assembly Government spokesman has confirmed the fourth death in Wales.

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