The number of patients being hospitalised due to swine flu has risen significantly, according to the NHS in west Kent.
Over the past two weeks, 146 people have been admitted to hospital across the South East Coast region, which includes Kent, Surrey and Sussex, and a high number of patients remain in critical care units nationally.
NHS West Kent reported a small rise in the number of people with flu-like illnesses and said each GP practice in the primary care trust’s area will have received their initial batch of swine flu vaccine by the end of this week.
Dr Gary Calver, a Kent spokesman for the British Medical Association (BMA) and a practising GP, urged those currently being offered the jabs, which includes people in clinical at-risk groups, to take part in the vaccination programme.
He said: “The vaccine will be offered to patients in order of clinical priority, and we would encourage all those who are invited in to have the vaccine to accept the offer.
“Although mild in the vast majority of cases, those in the priority groups could still be severely affected. As a clinician, I have had the vaccine as I do not want to pass on swine flu to vulnerable patients if I were to become infected.”
Information dating from last Thursday shows that 80 per cent of swine flu deaths investigated had underlying risk factors such as pregnancy.
Nationally, 124 patients with swine flu have died including eight across the South East Coast region.
Sharon Jones, director of resilience planning at NHS West Kent, added: “I am in one of the ‘at risk groups’ myself, so I had the vaccine only a few days ago, as I know that while swine flu is still producing a mild illness in most people, we are seeing further evidence emerging about the increased risk of serious complications in people in at-risk groups.
“The risk of hospitalisation is considerably higher for those with underlying conditions, so we are urging everyone in an at-risk group to accept the invitation for the vaccine when they receive it.”
For more information and to check your symptoms visit the National Pandemic Flu Service website www.direct.gov.uk/pandemicflu or call 0800 1 513 100.
POSTED: 20/11/2009 15:42:16
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