Shropshire’s health service is still left with nearly 30,000 doses of the swine flu jab, it was revealed today. But the vaccination programme will continue across the county until September.

The Shropshire County Primary Care Trust and NHS Telford & Wrekin were between them sent a total of 179 boxes of the vaccine.

Each box contains 500 doses and the two trusts have 59 boxes remaining.

In February, health service teams managing the swine flu outbreak in Shropshire were stepped down as levels of the illness continued to fall throughout the country.

The jab, however, has continued to be given to vulnerable patients, for example those with long-term medical conditions, and children under five years old.

Julie Thornby, corporate director of Shropshire County PCT, said today that the vaccination programme would continue up until the beginning of the next flu season, which begins in September.

She said: “The programme has been a success and is still continuing. There are 59 boxes of vaccine remaining, but this vaccine will continue to be used over the next few months.”

Swine flu hasn’t had the major impact on the country that health officials feared it would have last year.

It remains a mild condition and the vast majority of people recover within a few days.

However, across the West Midlands there have been more than 40 deaths attributed to the virus, but most of the patients who died had serious underlying health conditions.