Swine flu vaccine cancelled for Kirklees babies and toddlers

Mar 24 2010 by Joanne Douglas, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

BABIES and toddlers will no longer be vaccinated against swine flu.

The Department of Health (DoH) has decided to stop the vaccination programme for healthy babies aged over six months and tots aged under five.

The decision was made because the age group are no longer considered to be ‘at risk’ and are therefore not included in the priority groups for those who can be vaccinated.

New figures show that only 33.2% of health care workers in direct contact with patients at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary and Calderdale Royal Hospital in Halifax have been vaccinated against swine flu.

The latest DoH directive means that from the end of March, NHS Kirklees will no longer offer a vaccination service and the Tamiflu antiviral will also be withdrawn at the end of the month.

Dr Judith Hooper, Director of Public Health for NHS Kirklees and Kirklees Council, said: “Vaccination of people who are at particular risk from swine flu – pregnant women, people with long-term health conditions and frontline healthcare and social care workers – will continue as a priority.

“Getting vaccinated against swine flu is the best way for those at high risk to protect themselves and also the people around them.

“If people in ‘at risk’ groups haven’t been vaccinated already, I recommend this as an ideal time to consider protection against swine flu while levels of the virus are currently low.

“Local GPs will be able to offer patients advice on vaccination and should be contacted as soon as possible.”

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), which advises the government on matters relating to communicable diseases, has recommended this course of action to the DoH due to the current low levels of the swine flu virus circulating.

Figures from the DoH show that in Kirklees 34% of people in the ‘at risk’ group received the vaccination. Just 16.9% of healthy children aged under five received it.

The number of health care workers at NHS Kirklees – which includes GPs, pharmacists and district nurses – in direct contact with patients is 1,434, with 769 (53.6%) of those being vaccinated.

Of the 4,742 health care workers in direct contact with patients employed by Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust – the two hospitals in Huddersfield and Halifax – just 1,575 (33.2%) were vaccinated.

A spokeswoman for Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust said: “We have conducted a proactive campaign where the swine flu vaccination was offered to all our staff through a number of means and locations throughout the organisation.