Vaccinations being offered to priority groups

South Staffordshire Primary Care Trust (PCT) in partnership with local GPs has started the Swine Flu vaccination programme for people at higher risk of severe illness or at increased risk of infection and transmitting infection.

Health Secretary Andy Burnham announced in August the priority groups for vaccination against Swine Flu following advice from independent scientific expert committees.

The priority groups in order are:
• Individuals aged six months and up to 65 years in the current seasonal flu vaccine clinical at-risk groups
• All pregnant women, subject to licensing considerations on trimesters
• People in regular contact with immunocompromised
• People aged 65 and over in the current seasonal flu vaccine clinical at-risks groups.

Frontline health and social care workers have also been offered the vaccine at the same time as the first clinical risk group.

Letters are being distributed during November and December to patients registered with GPs across the South Staffordshire PCT area (including Burton upon Trent, Lichfield, Tamworth, Kinver, Wombourne, Stafford and Cannock). The letters will be from either their GP inviting them to receive their vaccination at the GP Surgery or from the PCT who will invite them to have their vaccination at a Vaccination Centre, a number of which have been set up across South Staffordshire.

John Wicks, Flu Director, South Staffordshire PCT said: “Swine Flu is generally mild for healthy people, but for people with long-term health conditions, who are pregnant or whose immune system is affected by a disease or treatment for a disease it can be more serious. This is why is it important to have the vaccine to prevent people from catching Swine Flu.

“The vaccine has had to pass stringent tests before being granted a licence by the European Medicines Agency and this means that we are very confident that the new vaccine is low risk.

“Patients within key groups prioritised as the most vulnerable should wait to receive their letter from either the PCT or their GP. The vast majority of people will receive their vaccination at their GP Surgery, however if a GP is not vaccinating a specific group then the PCT has provided additional temporary facilities across the area to ensure that the vaccinations can be administered as quickly and easily as possible”

Once the initial priority groups have been vaccinated and in line with national guidance issued last week (Friday 20 November), the PCT will be offering the vaccine to all healthy children over six months and under five years of age. The logistics of how the next phase will be delivered are currently being coordinated and will be communicated to parents in the coming weeks.