Herefordshire tots snub swine flu vaccine (From Hereford Times)

Herefordshire tots snub swine flu vaccine

10:51am Thursday 18th February 2010 in

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THE vast majority of Herefordshire parents decided against getting their children a swine flu vaccine.

Of 9,000 youngsters aged under five, only 257 have been immunised.

And although 5,351 people in the county have so far been diagnosed with the illness, only 3,753 bothered to collect their prescribed antiviral packs.

These numbers were revealed by NHS Herefordshire this week as the Government wound down the National Pandemic Flu Service, discontinuing all its web and telephone services because of a sharp decline in cases of swine flu.

Anyone with flu symptoms is now advised to consult their GP, while designated pharmacies across the county will deal with antiviral medicine prescribed by doctors.

NHS Herefordshire plans to continue with its swine flu vaccination programme until next September.

Dr Akeem Ali, director of public health, is urging all those in at risk groups to get immunised as soon as possible.

The illness may have gone for the moment but it could come back, causing serious illness and maybe death, he warned.

Dr Ali appealed to parents of children under five to get them immuised saying the youngsters were at greater risk of developing serious complications with swine flu..

“If that happens it will be from a vaccine preventable illness,” he said.

Since last September, when the immunisation programme started, 12,936 people with underlying medical problems and in the at risk group have received vaccination.

And, so far, 1,775 front line and social care workers in Herefordshire have taken up the offer.