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The Government is mobilising resources ahead of the expected resurgence of swine flu, which has seen the number of cases double to 14,000 in the past week.
According to Sky News, hospitals are expecting the first batch of vaccine on October 14, with family doctors receiving their supplies on October 19.
Director of immunisation David Salisbury says stocks of the GSK vaccine and another manufactured by Baxter will be delivered to GPs on a rolling basis as they became available.
Meanwhile, a number of specialised beds to treat adults with severe lung failure will be doubled, from five to 10, at a specialist unit in Leicester, says chief medical officer Sir Liam Donaldson.
He said: “Normally at this point in the second wave of a pandemic we would be starting to see explosive increases in numbers. We’re seeing it steadily mounting.
“On vaccination, the good news is that we’ve got approval of the vaccine at European level and we’re expecting to be able to start administering in the second part of October.”
Copyright Press Association 2009
