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Priority groups for H1N1 vaccine
13/08/2009
Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon today announced the priority groups who will be first to receive the vaccine against H1N1.
The following groups have been prioritised and will be vaccinated in this order:
- People aged over six months and up to 65 years in current seasonal flu vaccine clinical at-risk groups. (about 640,700 people)
- All pregnant women, subject to licensing considerations (about 60,000 people)
- Household contacts of people with compromised immune systems e.g. people in regular close contact with patients on treatment for cancer (about 53,000 people)
- People aged 65 and over in the current seasonal flu vaccine clinical at-risk groups (about 428,250 people). This does not include otherwise healthy over 65s, since they appear to have some natural immunity to the virus
- Frontline health and social care workers (approx 250,000 people) will begin to be vaccinated at the same time as the first priority group
This means a total of 1.4 million people will be vaccinated in this first stage of the programme.
The decision about who should be included in the priority groups was taken after advice from independent experts.
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) reviewed the evidence and advised the Scottish Government and other UK administrations on the risk groups who should be offered vaccination in order to reduce the rate or possibility of serious illness. This advice was also scrutinised and endorsed by the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE).
Ministers in all four nations have accepted this advice and are now working with BMA and NHS organisations to reach a comprehensive vaccine implementation for this first stage of the programme. Preparations continue to be made to extend the programme beyond these initial priority groups and JCVI will consider this matter further and report back in due course.
It is hoped the vaccination programme will begin in the Autumn, subject to the vaccine being licensed by the European Medicines Agency (EMEA). This organisation has strict processes in place for licensing pandemic vaccines and the vaccine will not be used until it is licensed. Vaccination will start as soon as possible once licenses have been granted and manufacturers anticipate this may happen in late September or early October.
Further details of the programme will be announced in the coming weeks as and when plans are finalised.
Ms Sturgeon said:
"It is vital that the public is protected against the spread of H1N1 and I am pleased to be able to announce today which groups will be first in line for vaccination.
"These groups constitute those who are most at risk of contracting the virus or developing complications.
"It is also vital that our health workers, who are at increased risk of infection and transmission, are protected against this virus so that they can continue their invaluable work.
"Scotland will be one of the first countries in the world to receive the vaccine supply thanks to contracts put in place before this outbreak.
"We are procuring enough vaccine supply for 100 per cent of the population, but it has always been the case that in the early months the supply will be limited, so we have had to determine the groups who will be prioritised.
"At this stage we anticipate being able to commence the programme some time in the middle of October. The focus is now on working through the delivery arrangements to allow the programme to start as soon as we have the licence.
"People should be reassured that the NHS in Scotland and its partner agencies are continuing to do everything they can to minimise the impact of this outbreak, as our vaccination programme demonstrates.
"Everyone can play a part in minimising the spread of flu-like illness by washing their hands and catching coughs and sneezes in a tissue."
Frontline health and social care workers will offered the vaccine at the same time as the first clinical risk group as they are at increased risk of infection and of transmitting that infection to susceptible patients. Frontline healthcare workers eligible for this vaccination programme are those also eligible for seasonal influenza vaccination.
The Department of Health (DH) has placed orders for sufficient H1N1 swine flu vaccine for the UK population. The orders are with GSK and with Baxter.
Clinical risk groups for seasonal flu:
Chronic respiratory disease and asthma:
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) including chronic bronchitis and emphysema; bronchiectasis, cystic fibrosis, interstitial lung fibrosis, pneumoconiosis and bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD)
- Children who have previously been admitted to hospital for lower respiratory tract disease
Chronic heart disease
- Congenital heart disease
- Hypertension with cardiac complications
- Chronic heart failure
- Individuals requiring regular medication and/or follow-up for ischaemic heart disease
Chronic renal disease
- Chronic renal failure
- Nephrotic syndrome
- Renal transplantation
- Chronic liver disease
- Cirrhosis
- Biliary artesia
- Chronic hepatitis
- Chronic neurological disease, including stroke and transient ischaemic attack (TIA)
- Diabetes
- Immunosuppression
- Immunosupression due to disease or treatment
- Patients undergoing chemotherapy leading to immunosuppression
- Asplenia or splenic dysfunction
- HIV infection
- Individuals treated with or likely to be treated with systemic steroids for more than a month at a dose equivalent to prednisolone at 20mg or more per day (any age) or for children under 20kg a dose of 1mg or more per kg per day
- Some immunocompromised patients may have a suboptimal immunological response to the vaccine