Following the tragic death of Lana Ameen from swine flu, her mother made a desperate plea for all children to be protected against the deadly virus with a vaccine. Here, the region’s most senior doctor, Ruth Hussey, explains why the NHS is not providing the vaccine to healthy youngsters and why they ‘advised’ health bosses in Bury to stop a school vaccination scheme...
WE have all been moved by the news of the tragic death of such a young child, and our hearts go out to the family at this very difficult time.
This heartbreaking loss reminds us that for some, flu can be a serious illness. Every winter hospitals treat some very poorly people who have complications as a result of catching flu and sadly, we do see some deaths.
This is why, each year, GPs advise patients – both children and adults – who have been identified as being in at-risk groups to have a seasonal flu vaccination. These groups include those with conditions such as diabetes, asthma, heart conditions and pregnant women. By identifying the at-risk groups it ensures the vaccine is used to best effect to reduce the number of people who suffer complications from flu infection.
The decision on who falls into these at-risk groups is based on clinical advice from a national independent expert advisory committee – the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) – which advises the Department of Health on vaccination guidance for doctors. And the advice from these experts is clear: the JCVI does not currently recommend that healthy children are routinely vaccinated against flu at present.
They do, however, say that some children should be vaccinated. They are of the view that the flu vaccine should be used to protect children from six months upwards who are in identified at-risk groups.
Flu is an unpleasant but mostly self-limiting illness. Every death as a result of seasonal flu is a tragic one, but our main messages to people who wish to protect themselves have to be:
- If you are in an at-risk group, to get your seasonal flu jab. If you are an otherwise healthy adult or child to self-treat – but to contact your GP for advice if you don’t get better or your condition suddenly gets worse;
- If you are a parent or carer for a child aged under five, and you think they might have flu, to contact your GP for advice, as flu can be difficult to diagnose in young children;
- To use good respiratory and hand-hygiene practice in order to limit the spread of the influenza virus (Catch It, Bin It, Kill It).
We will continue to make every effort to ensure that those people who have been identified by experts as most at-risk are vaccinated.
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So who here is going to claim they know better than Dr Hussey & insist all children should be vaccinated (apart from the MEN obviously)?
This doesn't tell us anything new and doesn't go any way to really explaining to people like Lana Ameen's family why they don't want to vaccinate outside of the at-risk groups.
In my opinion small children are the most prolific spreaders of viruses because their hygiene leaves a lot to be desired. Kids pass things on to each other and take them home to mum and dad and nana and grandad who pass them onto friends colleagues who in turn take them home to their families and friends and so the spreading goes. I think therefore that if they bothered to vaccinated even just 1 in 2 kids under the age of 6 in nurseries and primary schools the protection would reach wider society as a whole and there would be far less pressure on hospitals to provide beds for the seriously affected. There would be far less tradgedies like the one which poor little Lana Ammen fell victim to and less people ill would mean less cost to the economy during already difficult times as so many wouldn't have to take time out of work to recover from illness.
I fear it comes down to budgeting and rather that try to pre-empt the problem by orchestrating a strategic vaccination programme the powers that be would rather gamble and hope that the seasonal flu outbreak doesn't develop into an epidemic that eventually ends up costing more in providing healthcare than the cost of a vaccination campaign would have been.
http://bit.ly/fawmXQ
Woefully few comments on this story. I am sure there would be a hundred if it was some drivel about Jordan or more cack about Man U!!!
Unfortunately this message is typical of most communications from public bodies. They flatter to engage and inform but actually provide little useful information.
The headline suggests Dr Hussey will explain NHS policy - she does in so far as she tells us that the policy is not to give the vaccine to those in lower risk groups as this is the advice from JCVI. Does she really think this is what people wanted to know? Does she feel she has engaged the public with this message?
Understanding the process used to determine the policy is a start but I'm no better informed as to why the JCVI reached their conclusion which is, of course, what I would like to understand.
I like to understand the process and reasoning behind decisions but the group at JVCI deal with incredibly complicated and specialised subjects. Here is a list of those members of the JVCI, their credentials look good. Sometimes you have to accept their findings but don't stop questioning the reasoning. http://www.dh.gov.uk/ab/JCVI/DH_094748
Once swine flu is combined with a secondary infection it mutates and renders any single strain vaccine USELESS; if you had flu in 1976, chances are you already have the requisite antibodies to protect you from H1N1.
What an empty explanation. NHS Bury took the decision to vaccinsate schoolchildren using supplies of the previously stockpiled vaccine. The letter sent by NHS Bury makes clear the vaccine is safe and those that have already had it are not at harm. They are also protected whilst other schoolchildren have now had that possibility of protection removed. I'd love to know what's really gone on here because one day Bury parents were told their kids would be vaccinated the very next day they got we a letter saying they cannot because "it is not national policy". Strange then that we hear so much about the ability for decisions to be made locally. It stinks.
' the JCVI does not currently recommend that healthy children are routinely vaccinated against flu at present.'. Why?.
She has sidestepped the question, because;
She does not know the reasons?
She knows the reasons to be unacceptable to you? .
She doesn't want you to know the reasons?.
She does not believe parents/patients have the capacity or right to make informed choices?.
Does the vaccine pose a health threat to 'healthy' children?, if so, why not say?, I am sure the parents of the healthy school children that have been inoculated for flu, in the recent past, would like to know if there was/is any concern.....or is that one of the reasons for her footwork?.
It is unlikely there will be answers to the above, so may be some one could explain why these people, in authority, get away with insulting the intelligence of the public with empty answers?.
This news story doesn't tell us anything new from what we already know and it definately doesn't get Dr Ruth Hussey saying why the NHS doesn't give the vaccine to ALL children!!
Perhaps the ed could explain why my comment was not added?.
Because of my years of interest interest,I know 50,000 minimum die each year in the UK from traffic related pollution diseases,so having approached the Directors of Public Health in this area because Greater Manchester is a high risk seriously recognised air pollution region,and Directors of Public Health are employed specifically "to protect the health and welfare of everyone but what
responses did I obtain between 2005 and 2010,from a positive angle "ZILCH".
The same applies throughout all those who administrate our lives a,"don`t rock the boat" policy whether they be Councils making continual decisions to increase traffic volumes,or those in close league with Councils ie PCT`s and Directors of Public Health who show no respect for the serious diseases and deaths which originate from Air Pollution in Greater Manchester.
In fact Pulmonary Care whether Bronchitis,Emphysema,COPD etc is being cut back on those struggling to breathe through daily ingesting chronic toxin levels.
No its ceratinly "not" all down to smoking as they want you to believe,and when did you last hear or see any Director of Public Health offering the facts which the public have a right to know,they just keep quiet and bury the facts which are recognised and well known elsewhere in other Countries.
Its time Directors of Public Health let "their actual E.Mail contact details" be known because they are our servants directly employed to protect our health,not our masters
The medical profession considers the general public incapable of understanding the rationale behind their medical decisions. They therefore seldom give their reasons, and Dr. Hussey is clearly well versed in the protocol.......... " The JCVI does not currently recommend that healthy children are routinely vaccinated" Why ? Because they say so. !!
The countries currently recommending the vaccine for EVERYONE presumably have medical experts of a lower calibre than we have in the UK.
If you are in a 'low risk ' category so obviously have no underlying medical conditions, could your mum sue if you died?
And this article takes away the pain of a woman whose 3 year old healthy child who died within a few days of contracting swine flu. How do you sleep at night DR, prescription sleeping pills???
The real reason is COST nothing else. Cameron is happy to waste billions a week on useless wars in Aghanistan and Iraq which Blair instigated in his siamenese twin approach with Basil Bush and Cameron is happy to bail the Irish out for £7 billion, send money overseas to countries that want to blow the UK to bits, but anything on his own doorstep he doesn't want to know
Excuse me for being negative, but its more likely down to pounds shillings and pence. The loss of a loved one for the pitiful amount of £6-8 is simply unacceptable. I have never heard of any cases of Polio for half a century, but we still vaccinate our children, EVERYONE who is happy to pay for the vaccine should be allowed to receive it, if they do not meet the at risk criteria, and therefore would receive it free of charge. They now want to control independant business' that are happy to make the cash outlay, and provide the vaccine (ie pharmacies and supermarkets etc etc), its all about free trade, supply and demand, I know many parents of young children, and young adults who would be happy to pay privately for the jab, no it does not stop you developing h1n1, but it does cut the most severe complications. IT IS SO PREVENTABLE for such little cost, my heartfelt sympathy to anyone who has lost a loved one due to this disease, tell them "its a mild disease of which most people recover with 5 to 8 days". apparently the vaccine takes 4-6 months to make.
What a load of rubbish! So yes you think that over 65s are a higher risk well to be honest Id rather deprive the over 65s and give it to the under 5's tots. The older ones have had there lives, children are the countries future. I totaolly agree with one of the comments on here that vaccine if that little girl had it shed be alive. Ask yourself this health chiefs how would you like to go threw that how many innocent little children have to sick and die before, a jab can be given? Every child should get it and if your worried about the cost of this. Its simple those who want it pay the £6 for it, so it will not cost the nhs a penny, but at least we mums have the chance to do something this backwards heartless health care systom is too lazy to care about. So let me ask you now do more children have to loose there lives before you'll start caring? HOW MANY DO YOU WANT, LETS HOP ITS YOURS! tHEN YOU MIGHT ACTUALLY LISTEN TO WHAT THIS POOR MUM IS TRYING TO ACHIEVE. SHAME ON YOU ALL. Poor little baby, this nhs needs a wake up big time, let the parents pay for the jab. There is my opinion. And yours sucks Dr hussy.