Andrew Lansley has questioned why, in the light of evidence from the US, all those under the age of 24 are not being targetted with the vaccine, and further evidence on the BBC website would back up that view.
It is clear that those with underlying medical conditions are more at risk than other groups, but in particular those under the age of five are at just as big a risk as many people with underlying medical conditions. Currently 81% of under fives admitted to hospital for swine flu have no underlying medical condidtions. As the evidence shows, this age group, who are also twice as likely to need medical care and an intensive care bed, are being largely ignored by the government.
Despite government claims that under fives with medical conditions such as asthma are being targeted for the vaccine, I know that many children with asthma, using inhalers BUT who ahve not been officially diagnosed because many children under the age of three are not "officially" asthmatic until further test are undergone when they have "developed", will NOT GET THE VACCINE ! This is another one of the little lies this government and Sir Liam Donaldson have peddled in order to maintain that they know what they are doing.
I hope the Tories go further in asking the government why doctors surgeries have not even been told when they can expect the vaccine (meaning they cannot even start the process of booking appointments), and why it is that all doctors surgeries, irrespective of size and the number of patients they have, will all get 500 vaccines delivered. Surely any idiot could work out that larger doctors surgeries require more vaccine than smaller ones ? Apparently not, as it seem Sir Liam Donaldson really is as stupid a man as you can find. Remember it was Sir Liam Donaldson who said in September that we were "tantalisingly close to beating swine flu", and before that in early Ausgst he said we would be vaccinating by the end of August. Worse still he was saying in June we might have vaccines by late July. Oh dear !
So well done to Andrew Lansley, who has put the Lib Dems to shame in the silence that they have shown over this issue.
The cosy consensus would have had us believe that because things are not as bad as they might have been over swine flu that they government have done well. In truth, they have shown a massive degree if complacency and Sir liam Donaldson has shown himself to be a prize fool.
4 comments:
It seems eminently sensible to think now about ensuring a school based vaccine programme is put in place before the Christmas holidays so that children can gain their immunity during the school holidays. The vaccine does take 10-14 days to become effective.
Knowing this government they will wait until mid January and by then it will be far too late.
You didn't comment in Donaldson's dumb comment about the small rise in flu cases last week "possibly" being linked to the half term. Why is he unable to see that with school holidays come declining flu cases ?
"So well done to Andrew Lansley, who has put the Lib Dems to shame in the silence that they have shown over this issue"
So who is your health spokesman? Could it be a one Norman Lamb - the person you helped get elected? (-:
Posting under your real name rather than anonymously ! My goodness. What has come over you ?
I always post under my real name much, probably, to the annoyance of CCHQ!
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