So, the Swine Flu Vaccine was a waste of money

[Diver]

In this case, the NHS acted properly and with due care and diligence. Stocks were high enough to ensure adequate supplies for all, and mechanisms were in place to support the take up.

When you are dealing with the unpredictability of an emergent pandemic, cutting corners or just "hoping for the best" is not an option. Millions of lives were at stake, and IMHO, the NHS acted responsibly.

Swine flu is not "just a sniffle", it's a blimming nasty illness that is made worse by other underlying health issues.

Being immuno-compromised, I have no doubt that swine flu would have severely harmed me, leading to hospitalisation or worse.

The first jab was awful, as it contains a part of the virus, albeit inert. I was ill for 3 days and wanted to crawl up and die.

The nurse explained that I was suffering a tenth of what could be expected had I got real swine flu.

When I had my follow up jab 3 weeks later, she said "you won't suffer an symptoms at all apart from a sore arm. This indicates that the jab 3 weeks ago has afforded you immunity."

She was right 100%.

Sorry Ardesco, but I disagree based on my own personal experiences and also working in the health arena. The response by the NHS was proportionate for such a dreadful illness. They got this one right. Ignore the media nay-sayers.

WHS

[Board Game Geek]

In this case, the NHS acted properly and with due care and diligence. Stocks were high enough to ensure adequate supplies for all, and mechanisms were in place to support the take up.

When you are dealing with the unpredictability of an emergent pandemic, cutting corners or just "hoping for the best" is not an option. Millions of lives were at stake, and IMHO, the NHS acted responsibly.

Swine flu is not "just a sniffle", it's a blimming nasty illness that is made worse by other underlying health issues.

Being immuno-compromised, I have no doubt that swine flu would have severely harmed me, leading to hospitalisation or worse.

The first jab was awful, as it contains a part of the virus, albeit inert. I was ill for 3 days and wanted to crawl up and die.

The nurse explained that I was suffering a tenth of what could be expected had I got real swine flu.

When I had my follow up jab 3 weeks later, she said "you won't suffer an symptoms at all apart from a sore arm. This indicates that the jab 3 weeks ago has afforded you immunity."

She was right 100%.

Sorry Ardesco, but I disagree based on my own personal experiences and also working in the health arena. The response by the NHS was proportionate for such a dreadful illness. They got this one right. Ignore the media nay-sayers.

[threaded]

What a surprise.

Blimey. That is low.

I was on the 'first wave' of 'key people' in Denmark to be given the injection. I was surprised and was told that an awful lot of medical people had turned it down due to concerns about side-effects.

I wonder if medical people in the UK turned it down for the same reasons.

[Board Game Geek]

What a surprise.

That's 24 million doses more than there are people, FFS.

There are several very good reasons for that.

Certain groups need a double dose, as opposed to the single shot. Underlying health issues warrant this. I needed 2 doses, 3 weeks apart.

There can be significant dose wastage due to patients not keeping appointments.

Eg, a tray of 10 vials is taken out of chilled storage (and cannot go back in). The tray is ready for the 10 booked appointments.
7 people show up.
The other 3 are wasted and destroyed.

Taking a large town and their approx 20 GP surgeries, a DNA (Did not Attend) rate of 1 in 3 is not uncommon. (And that's for ALL intended visits, not just swine flu clinics). That's why you can usually get an appointment even if you ring later in the afternoon, on occassion.

[Diver]

It would have been better if the disease was serious and they didn't spend the money to be prepared?

The WHO based their estimations on the high initial death rates in Mexico, had these rates been consistent during the spread of the flu, it would have become a disastrous pandemic, which would have also had severe economic repercussions do to the world already being in economic chaos

How severe, you can probably imagine.

[d000hg]

At the end of the day Swine flu is no worse than normal flu and more poeple have died from normal flu in this country....

Wrong. Don't let facts get in the way of your chance to (try to) sound clever though.

[d000hg]

It would have been better if the disease was serious and they didn't spend the money to be prepared?

[Ardesco]

Pfft every doctor I know didn't take the vaccine as it wasn't specifically keyed to swine flu anyway, just GSK's left over crap they really needed to sell before it passed its sell by date.

At the end of the day Swine flu is no worse than normal flu and more poeple have died from normal flu in this country....

[AtW]

That's 24 million doses more than there are people, FFS.

Often 2 shots of vaccine can be required to get immunity. Getting 30 mln from other manufacturer is also prudent thing to do just in case virus becomes resistant to primary vaccine.

[Diver]

What a surprise.

That's 24 million doses more than there are people, FFS.



That went well then. Not.

Blimey. That is low.


More taxpayer's money pissed up against the wall. Still, at least they've chosen to the worst time to sell:

Would you be knocking it if the worst case scenario for swine flu had been realised?

I think you would have been in the queue for your shot like the rest of us, and grateful for it too.

They ordered so much because deliveries weren't guaranteed

[Shimano105]

Cyberman's curtains must be relieved though

[RichardCranium]

What a surprise.

The government is making plans to offload millions of doses of swine flu

Officials are in discussion with manufacturer GSK over contracts for remaining doses purchased by the UK. Options include selling surplus vaccine and donating it to poorer countries.

The UK bought 60m doses of swine flu vaccine from GSK and 30m from Baxter

That's 24 million doses more than there are people, FFS.

An official figure for the cost of the vaccine to the UK has never been given but it is likely to run into hundreds of millions.

Around a third of those in initial priority groups have had the swine flu vaccine.

That went well then. Not.

Among healthcare workers, 37% have had the vaccine.

Blimey. That is low.


More taxpayer's money pissed up against the wall. Still, at least they've chosen to the worst time to sell:

Last week France announced it was selling millions of doses of swine flu vaccine.