Children to get swine flu vaccine
Thursday 19th November 2009, 4:05PM GMT.
The swine flu vaccination programme will be extended to offer children aged over six months and under five protection against the virus, it was announced today.
The move is being made because children under five years of age are more likely than other groups to be hospitalised if they become ill with the virus.
Professor Steve Field, Chairman of the Royal College of General Practitioners, said: “We shouldn’t underestimate swine flu – it is a nasty infection and its effects can be devastating.
“I know that some parents have concerns about immunisation but the swine flu vaccine is our most effective protection against the virus.
“This is obviously a personal choice but I would advise all parents whose children are offered the vaccine to take it up. If you are worried, please talk to your GP and get all the information so that you can make an informed choice.”
Meanwhile, new figures show there were an estimated 53,000 new cases of swine flu in England in the last week, down from 64,000 in the week before.
The number of people needing hospital care for the virus is 783, down from 785 in the previous week.
Of those in hospital, 180 were in intensive care, up from 173 in the previous week.
The number of people dying with swine flu has also risen from 124 deaths in England to 142.
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