UK doctors warned about flu vaccine delay
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Flu vaccines may not be delivered to UK physicians in time to meet demand before the winter, the government warned on Monday—a delay doctors said may put some patients at risk.
The Department of Health (DoH) said that while there would be no long-term shortage, a delay in production would mean some GP practices would not immediately get enough of the vaccine to immunise eligible patients.
“We informed GPs about the industry’s production difficulties at the earliest opportunity, so they could plan for any potential problems with the supply of the vaccine,” said Dr. David Salisbury, the DoH’s head of immunisation.
“The industry has produced enough vaccine for the UK, though some deliveries may be later than usual.”
The DoH warning comes as the government launches its annual campaign to encourage those at risk from flu to have a free jab.
That group includes people over 65 and those with diabetes. Last year more than 75 percent of the elderly were immunised.
The government warned that cold weather can kill up to 40,000 people in a particularly severe winter with thousands of deaths linked to complications from flu.
Dr. Hamish Meldrum, chairman of the British Medical Association’s GPs committee, said it would be “quite a challenge” patients before the winter flu season sets in.
“For some it may be impossible and we will have to hope for a late onset of the annual flu outbreak. There certainly won’t be spare supplies to provide jabs for those not in the at-risk groups.”
He said at-risk patients should not contact their GPs, and doctors will let them know when vaccines are available.
Conservative shadow Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said this was the third year running when there had been a problem with vaccines.
“I asked ministers 2 weeks ago for an update on the supply of flu vaccines for this year, and was assured that 15 million doses would be available. Now we learn that they are not,” he said in a statement.
He said he would write to Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt asking her to give doctors guidance should a flu epidemic strike when there was a shortage of vaccines.
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