Swine flu vaccination slow roll-out across Kirklees GP surgeries

Nov 9 2009 by Anne-Marie Senior, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

NOT all GP surgeries in Kirklees have received the swine flu vaccine, it has been revealed.

Patients at a number of practices across the area could have to wait weeks before they are invited for the jab.

But today health bosses assured the Examiner this was always the plan due to the sheer volume of patients needing protection.

A spokesman for NHS Kirklees said: “There is no problem.

“It was always going to be the case that there would be a phased roll-out because of the sheer quantity there is to get out there. Not all GPs have received their vaccine as yet. But we expect over the next few weeks that all practices will have received the first batch.

“As soon as GPs have received the vaccine, they will start writing to those patients in the at- risk groups.

“But it is going to take time for surgeries to contact everyone – our message is don’t worry.”

Doses of the H1N1 swine flu vaccine began arriving at GP surgeries in Kirklees last week.

The move comes as around 110 new swine flu cases are reported in Kirklees everyday.

The health spokesman added: “Everything is looking very controllable. The picture we are seeing is that the same numbers of people are collecting antivirals so we still do not need to open any additional collection points.

“We will be producing a new swine flu booklet in the coming weeks which will be going out to GP surgeries, dentists and pharmacies offering further information about the vaccine.