Flu vaccine supplies are available to doctors’ surgeries online, the Department of Health’s director of immunisation says.
Professor David Salisbury said: “We have now got online ordering so that GPs will be able, from Monday, to simply order online from us and we will get deliveries very quickly, of large doses, large stocks of vaccine to them.”
As the flu death toll rose to 50 since October, some people wanting the jab have been unable to get it from their GP practice this week.
But Prof Salisbury said that despite the number of people reportedly with flu seeming to be settling, the figures might not be accurate because some surgeries were not open all five days.
He said: “We’re having to make some assumptions about where this may be going. I think it’s really difficult to call.
“It could flatten, but we could also see the numbers begin to edge up again next week.”
The Government has been accused of not ordering enough doses of the vaccine for this year’s flu season, but Prof Salisbury said the same amount was ordered last year and the year before.
Copyright © Press Association 2011
