General Chat

In what would be the biggest vaccination programme of the last 50 years, experts are already drawing up a priority list of patients to be given immunity before the bug becomes more virulent.

It comes after the first British patient without underlying health problems died from the disease, taking the number of swine flu-linked deaths in the UK to 15.

Peter Holden, the British Medical Association's lead negotiator on swine flu, told The Sunday Times: "The high risk groups will be done at GPs' surgeries.

"People are still making decisions over this, but we want to get cracking before we get a second wave, which is traditionally far more virulent."

He added: "If the virus does (mutate), it can get a lot more nasty, and the idea is to give people immunity. But the sheer logistics of dealing with 60 million people can't be underestimated."

The latest swine flu-linked death happened at Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, NHS East of England.

Chief Medical Officer Sir Liam Donaldson warned on Saturday that other healthy people were at risk of dying from the disease.

He said: "As with all flu-like viruses, some people are at higher risk than others. Unfortunately, people who are otherwise healthy could also become seriously ill or, sadly, die."

But Sir Liam added: "Fortunately, this particular new virus isn't nearly as severe as it could have been. If it had, for example, come out of the bird flu variant it would have been producing much higher levels of mortality."

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/21/20090712/tuk-plan-to-vaccinate-whole-uk-for-flu-6323e80.html

Not wishing to be too flippant, wish I hadn't watched Torchwood now ;)

the sooner the vacines ready and everybody is done the better
two of my hubbys family have died of flu

When I was in Hong King, I saw the memorial to the Doctors who had died in their fight against SARS. It was very moving.

When you think of all the people who died in 1918 and other flu outbreaks it can be very scary to think about the consequences.

Sorry to hear that Joy, was this recently or some time ago? Hope you don't mind me posting this.

it was years ago hun
we never knew the people they died before hubby was born

we were told they died of TB

but found the truth when i ordered the death certs

They never tell you though that there is a risk with any injection one has to wiegh the risk of one aainst the other

I await my call-up for the vaccination with bated breath... pupils at my nephew's and niece's school have contracted it...... I now have to stay away from them for a bit....:¬((

I have only just been released back into the wild, lol.... I do so NOT want to spend another winter under house arrest!

Hiya Terry, there is very very little risk from the flu vaccine... some people will get a cold, but that is because their immune system is assimilating the flu vaccine, and leaves them slightly vulnerable for a day or so... it is NOT a dose of the flu, as a lot of people think.

There is far more risk of a healthy adult being seriously ill or dying from flu, than there is from the vaccine.

As a Vulnerable Person, I've done my homework!! lolol Just awaiting the call-up!!

Love

Daff xxxx

I have the usual 'flu' jab every year, and have never had any side effects. I do not know if it stands me in good stead with this new 'flu' strain, but will ask for the official stance on this when next in the doctors.

Julia in Derbyshire

Hi
as some one who was so sick it took five weeks to recover from a influenza vacination I am very cautious. Dont get me wrong I have and still wll have vacinations, injections or what ever, but one should be clear of the risks;as its not always the active part that causes problems but the medium it is carried in. That I found out when I had to have a tetanus shot and had a severe allergic reaction to it. Being given the facts is called informed consent, doesn't stop you from going through with the proceedure, but lets you know nothing is without rsk