Life With MND
Swine Flu - update
16 October 2009
Swine flu and seasonal flu immunisations
Swine flu
The NHS has now received first batches of the licensed swine flu vaccine.
NHS staff will be able to start vaccinating at-risk groups from the 21 October 2009. Supplies of the vaccine will not arrive at general practices until Monday 26 October at the earliest.
The NHS is vaccinating those at the greatest risk first – this includes people living with MND. GP surgeries are now contacting all ‘at risk’ patients to offer them the vaccine. Anyone who hasn’t heard from their GP by 26 October should contact their surgery directly.
Please note that swine flu immunisation is separate from the seasonal flu immunisation programme which requires a different vaccine (see below.)
Seasonal flu
This year’s seasonal flu immunisation programme is now underway and people living with MND should already have been contacted by their GP. Anyone who hasn’t been contacted by now should contact their surgery as a matter of urgency.
If you are living with MND and would like more advice about getting your swine flu or seasonal flu jabs, visit http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Pandemic-flu/Pages/QA.aspx#vaccine or contact MND Connect on 0845 62 62 62; email mndconnect@mndassociation.org
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The National Pandemic Flu Service has now been launched in England.
If you are in England and feel like you may have swine flu, visit the National Pandemic Flu service . The service is also available by Freephone on 0800 1 513 100 (0800 1 513 200 for textphone).
At the moment this service only applies to England. In Wales you should contact NHS Direct Wales on 0845 46 47 and in Northern Ireland, the NI Swine Flu helpline on 0800 0514 142.
However, MND is a serious underlying illness. People living with MND are therefore advised to contact their doctor directly rather than using the National Pandemic Flu Service.
Useful documents:
Swine flu information sheet for people with MND and their carers (42 kb)
