NHS Bosses Urge People To Be Patient Until Swine Flu Vaccine Is Rolled Out Across The Region
NHS bosses in the East of England have urged people to remain patient while the first batch of the new swine-flu vaccine is rolled out to GPs across the region. With cases of the pandemic flu-virus on the increase, hospitals and doctor s surgeries in the
NHS bosses in the East of England have urged people to remain patient while the first batch of the new swine-flu vaccine is rolled out to GPs across the region.
With cases of the pandemic flu-virus on the increase, hospitals and doctor's surgeries in the area have been inundated with demands for the vaccine, but NHS chiefs are calling for people to remain calm and continue to follow all the available advice to minimise the risk of infection.
Dr Linda Sheridan, director of Flu Resilience for NHS East of England, said:
"GPs will be inviting people in the priority groups (see below) in for their jab over the coming few weeks once they have received their delivery.
"We understand that people are anxious to find out more information about the swine flu vaccination, but we are urging them not to contact their GP surgeries as they are currently very busy.
"Everyone can help reduce the spread of the swine flu virus by maintaining good hygiene and remembering to 'Catch it, Bin it, Kill it.'"
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Figures released last week revealed that the number of people in Cambridgeshire who were diagnosed with the pandemic flu during the last week of October had hit 1936, the highest figure in the region.
In the East of England meanwhile, the number of confirmed cases of the H1N1 virus hit 10,360 during the last week with the number of people in critical care in hospital leaping from 10 to 15.
For more information visit: www.nhs.uk/swineflu.
The priority groups who are eligible are for the swine flu vaccine:
* People aged over six months and under 65, who would normally be eligible for the seasonal flu vaccine.
* Pregnant women.
* Household contacts of people with compromised immune systems, e.g. people in regular close contact with patients having high doses of steroid medication or on certain types of cancer treatment.
* People aged 65 and over in the current seasonal flu vaccine clinical at-risk groups. This does not include otherwise healthy over 65s, since they appear to have some natural immunity to the virus.
