20 November 2009
26% of Islanders have now been vaccinated against swine flu. Nurses from Health and Social Services and Family Nursing and Home Care, with help from ambulance paramedics, have reached 24,000 people with the immunisation programme. Next week the vaccine will be offered to pre-schoolers who do not attend a nursery, and to those people who were unable to make their vaccination appointments in schools and nurseries.
The Medical Officer of Health, Dr Rosemary Geller, said “This is a fantastic achievement in so short a time, and I would like to thank everyone involved for their hard work and cooperation. Next week the programme will be extended to the under-5s who don’t attend nursery. There will also be separate vaccination clinics held at the hospital for children and teachers who missed the schools sessions. We hope to move on to vaccinate the general population as soon as enough vaccine is available.”
Consultant Community Paediatrician, Dr Mark Jones, said of the school vaccination programme “These vaccinations should soon be successful in rendering the majority of Island children immune against swine flu, which would reduce the misery of flu for many and the avoidance of severe illness for a few.”
Consultant in Communicable Diseases, Dr Ivan Muscat, said “I am pleased with our progress and it gives me hope that we will succeed in our aim to get 50% of the population vaccinated by Christmas. This is a fast-changing situation and we are meeting regularly to assess and react to it. I hope people will understand that this means our advice may change as the outbreak progresses.”
People are still being urged to continue following the Catch it, Bin it, Kill it message by practising good hygiene such as regular hand washing and using tissues.
Of the 24,000 people vaccinated 17,000 have been vaccinated by nurses and 7,000 by GPs.
Vaccinated so far:
- 78% of Health and Social Care staff
- 83% of nursery children
- 85% of primary school children
- 75% of secondary school pupils
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