New booklets to help fight against swine flu in Kirklees

Jul 24 2009 By Anne-Marie Senior

A NEW SWINE flu booklet has been launched in Kirklees to offer people vital information about the current outbreak.

The 16-page document is being handed out at health and community buildings across the area to help reinforce the “Catch it, Bin it, Kill it” message.

Posters are also being put up to advise people how to stop the infection spreading.

It comes as a national swine flu service went live yesterday to speed up access to drugs for thousands of flu sufferers with news that the number of people who fear they have the disease is soaring.

The Government’s National Flu Pandemic Service can be accessed using the telephone and internet.

It will be staffed by more than 1,500 people and is designed to relieve mounting pressure on frontline NHS staff.

The launch coincides with reports that NHS Direct is failing to keep up with the growing demand for swine flu diagnosis as numbers soar.

On Thursday, the Examiner highlighted the plight of pregnant Alanna Delahaye who was suffering flu-like symptoms.

The Golcar mum-to-be was made to wait seven hours for a callback, despite being classed as “high risk” by an online flu checking service.

Alanna, who is five months pregnant, was eventually told she couldn’t be treated because she was not suffering from a high temperature, despite her other symptoms.