Past press releases

PRESS RELEASE: 5 October 2004

FLU JAB CHAOS

The mid afternoon announcement on the BBC came out of the blue. GP practices have not been alerted on how to deal with patient enquiries. No guidance has been issued as to whether existing supplies of Chiron's vaccines are safe to be used, or what advice should be given to those who have already had these vaccines.

"I rang both the Medicines Control Agency and Southern Norfolk Primary Care Trust at about 5.15pm.They had both shut up shop for the day and there was no facility for urgent contact. It's appalling that with the level of investment put into the NHS that the Government has failed to get the message out to front line staff ahead of the press. I have no doubts that this suspension, alongside other delays with vaccines, is going to halt the progress of mass vaccination of those at risk in Norfolk. We can only pray that if flu comes, it doesn't arrive until after Christmas."

"We need to see reform of the now discredited Medicines Control Agency in London, and see a more organised response to these problems by the NHS locally", said Dr Mack.

ENDS