Flu vaccine delays for over-65s 'resolved by weekend'

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GPs and patients are being told about the final delivery of the vaccine for over-65s.

NHS England said there would be enough vaccines for everyone to be protected ahead of winter.

But doctors' leaders said they should be given to GPs and patients to avoid disruption of the phased delivery of supplies.

Older adults are advised to be fluent by early December.

This gives time for protection before starting to circulate, normally later in the month.

However, the symptoms of the over-65s have not been resolved.

Canceled appointments

In a survey of 650 GPs in Pulse, nearly 70% said there had been a shortage of this vaccine at their practice.

That meant they could not vaccinate as many elderly patients as they would have liked.

Some GPs said they had to cancel appointments while others said it had created staffing problems.

A spokesman for NHS England said that this week "100% of vaccines will be delivered by the manufacturer to those surgeries and pharmacists who placed an order on time".

"So the public can be assured that there is sufficient supply of vaccine in stock for everyone to get protected ahead of winter."

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Dr. Richard Vautrey, chairman of the GP committee at the British Medical Association (BMA), said it was not easy for GPs.

"As practices begin planning for next year, NHS England must learn lessons from the disruption seen in the past weeks.

"Adequate notice and guidance to all practices must be given in advance of the ordering period.

"Improving information for the public would also be beneficial," he said.

'Best defense against flu'

Public Health England said the adjuvanted flu vaccine, which is designed to help the immune systems of older people fight flu, was worth having.

Dr. Mary Ramsay, Head of Immunizations at PHE, said: "We encourage all of us to get an appointment with our GPs.

"However, it's still worth getting vaccinated even if it's later in winter – it's the best defense we have against an unpredictable virus."

The new flu vaccine is also available to over-65s in Wales and Northern Ireland.

In Scotland, it is only available to over-75s.