HEALTH chiefs have shut down their swine-flu pharmacy centres in Huddersfield and Dewsbury.

Only a small number of people have been using the centres to collect doses of the antiviral drug Tamiflu as panic over the virus subsides.

NHS Kirklees last night closed its two dedicated Antiviral Collection Points (ACPs) at Cambridge Street, Huddersfield and the Walsh Building, Dewsbury, until further notice.

Flu friends collecting antivirals using either a unique number from the National Pandemic Flu Service or an authorisation voucher from a GP will instead be referred to a network of seven community pharmacies across Kirklees.

The centres were initially opened to support the community pharmacy network with the anticipated rise in demand for swine flu antivirals and to enable them to continue to provide a service to other non swine flu patients.

Dr Judith Hooper, director of public health for NHS Kirklees, which is responsible for community-based health provision, said: “Demand for antivirals in the Kirklees area has decreased so we are able to stand down these services.

“The situation will remain under constant review and the centres can be quickly re-opened.”

People with suspected symptoms should continue to use the National Pandemic Flu Service as their first port of call if they are worried they may have swine flu.

This can be contacted either online (www.direct.gov.uk/pandemicflu) or by telephone (0800 1 513 100 or 0800 1 513 200 (Textphone).

The first cases of swine flu were reported in Kirklees on June 27, at a Dewsbury school, with three people contracting the virus.

A teacher died of swine flu and four health workers who had worked at the school were also diagnosed

A total of 32 schools reported cases and by mid July, more than 2,500 people had been prescribed the anti-viral treatments.

Of those, 759 were in Huddersfield.

PHARMACIES

Dewsbury Health Centre, Wellington Road, Dewsbury

Eye Pharmacy

Ravensthorpe Retail Park, Huddersfield Road,

Dewsbury

Batley Pharmacy

157 Upper Commercial St,

Batley

Asda, off Bradford Road

Brackenhall, Huddersfield

Tesco,Viaduct Street, Huddersfield

Greenhead Pharmacy, Greenhead House, 2 Greenhead Road, Huddersfield.