Swine Flu - H1N1 flu
posted: 15/10/2009
Updated 16 October. 
Swine Flu is still about and the Chief Medical Officer has pointed to a spike in new cases last week.
High-risk patients and frontline health workers in hospitals will be the first to be inoculated from 21 October. More than 4m doses of Pandemrix will be delivered to GP surgeries the following week so that patients in priority groups, including people living with HIV, can be given protective injections.
A national postal strike could disrupt the process severely, the Chief Medical Officer Liam Donaldson warned, saying it could prevent doctors from sending out letters to vulnerable patients to invite them in for vaccination.
Vaccination schedule
• 21 October 415,000 doses of the vaccine Pandremix will be given to high-risk patients in hospitals and to frontline health workers.
• Week beginning 26 October 4.4 million doses of Pandremix to be delivered to GPs. Doctors will inoculate patients in priority groups – such as those with compromised immune systems (eg HIV) and pregnant women.
• At the same time 236,500 doses of Pandremix and 49,200 doses of another vaccine, Celvapan, will be sent to NHS primary care trusts.
• The World Health Organisation has backed the use of Pandremix for pregnant women despite claims ingredients have not been sufficiently tested on expectant mothers-to-be
NAM have a Swine Flu page that they keep updated regularly here. They have also produced this factsheet.
And here, Terrence Higgins Trust's medical director answers common swine flu questions.
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