Back to school = flu epidemic
Andrew Lansley, the Health Secretary was accused of “serious misjudgement” for cancelling the programme. Flu rates are already on the rise with many families falling ill over the Christmas break, with 18 adults and nine children already known to have died - the UK is already reaching epidemic status.
Current flu rates have been rising at a much faster rate than during the last epidemic in 1999, tripling in the space of a week. One in 10 of the 460 patients with flu being treated in intensive care is under the age of 15, 26 being under the age of five.
Last year ALL parents of children aged six months to five years were offered the Swine Flu vaccination on the NHS but in January, the joint committee on vaccination and immunisation said it would be ‘prudent’ for them to be included in this season’s flu vaccination programme.
However, in July, the advice was again changed, this time Doctors who had previously asked for an extra £25 per patient to cover the costs of the jab for the country’s 3.8 million under fives, were told it was no longer necessary.
John Healey, the shadow health secretary, called on My Lansley to release the minutes of the last meeting of the vaccination committee.
Prof John Oxford, a virologist at the University of London, criticised the decision not to give this year’s flu vaccination – which contains the Swine Flu vaccination – to children under five.
An epidemic is officially declared when the number of people reported with flu exceeds 200 per 100,000 people in a week. The current rate rose from 34.6 to 87.1 in the week before Christmas.
What do you think? Has your child had the flu over the Christmas break? If so how bad was it? Tell us in our Baby Health Chat Forum
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