THE Government is cutting its swine flu vaccine deal with GlaxoSmithKline in a move that will see it pay two-thirds of the original value – but receive just over a third of the doses.

The Department of Health said the UK order with Glaxo would now be capped at 34.8m doses, including those already received, out of a total original order of 90m doses from the firm.

It said there would be no cancellation fee and claimed the new arrangement represented “fair value” and “significant savings” – but would not comment further on the difference between the cut in payments and doses received. The new deal also includes an undertaking to buy an as yet undefined amount of the H5N1 bird flu vaccine and anti-viral flu treatment Relenza.

The Department of Health said it had initially ordered enough of Glaxo’s Pandemrix vaccine for the whole population, but further evidence on swine flu had persuaded experts against total vaccination.