Posted on 10/15/2009 11:23:58 PM PDT by bruinbirdman
Move came as it was revealed that more than 100 people in Britain have now died from the virus, including a 17-year-old pregnant woman from Scotland.
Hospitals will get the vaccine from the middle of next week, with GP surgeries a week later, Prof Sir Liam Donaldson, the Chief Medical officer, said.
More than 11 million people thought most at risk will receive the jab, including NHS staff.
Servicemen and women deployed to Afghanistan will also be given the vaccine, but only after it has been given to all people in Britain at risk.
Ministers say there is still the option to vaccinate the entire population and they have ordered enough vaccines to do so.
Pregnant women, patients with underlying health problems, people who live with someone with a compromised immune system, such leukaemia patients, and healthcare staff will all be vaccinated against the virus.
Most people will need only one dose of the vaccine, officials said, although children will be given two.
The announcement was made as the number of new cases increased again.
Figures show there were 27,000 new infections last week, up from 18,000 the week before.
New cases are doubling every fortnight, a slower rate than during the first wave of the virus, when they doubled every week.
Officials estimate that 370,000 people in Britain have had swine flu.
So far the virus has claimed 106 lives in Britain since the pandemic began in April.
In the last week the number of people in hospital with the disease rose from 290 to 364.
The number in intensive care has risen sharply, from 47 to 74.
Sir Liam said: "This is the highest proportion of hospitalised patients who have been in intensive care since this began.
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
the vaccine IS the pandemic
Your well-reasoned photoshops and the rhetorical prowess of your capital letters has convinced me.
could be...
Thank god the internet wasn’t around when Jonas Salk came up with his vaccine.
100 deaths out of 370,000 infections and they’re considering vaccinating the entire population of Britain? Going a bit overboard much?
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