Who should get the swine flu vaccine?
By Robert Colvile
Published: 7:06PM BST 29 Jul 2009
One of Labour’s favourite mantras is that being in government is about making the tough decisions. But when it comes to swine flu, a series of choices is approaching that may prove a matter of life and death.
The problem is this. The Government has purchased enough vaccine against this strain of swine flu (H1N1) to treat the entire population – 61 million people – at a cost of £155.4 million. However, by the end of the year, when the second wave of the pandemic is expected to be at its height, we will only have received half of the order. So officials have a decision to make: who gets the vaccine first?
According to the World Health Organisation, frontline health workers are the top priority, followed by the most vulnerable groups. In a paper published yesterday on The Lancet website, researchers urged that pregnant women should be prioritised because, according to reports from the US, they have higher than expected death rates from swine flu. The very young and those with existing medical conditions will also be high up the list.
