WIREDGOV

Pregnant women, people with chronic conditions and those in contact with people with weakened immune systems are being vaccinated first because they are most at risk from swine flu and its complications.

The aim of the campaign is to tell everyone the vaccination programme is now underway and that GP practices in Wales, as in the rest of the UK, will be inviting those in the priority groups to be vaccinated.

Dr Tony Jewell, Chief Medical Officer for Wales, said:

“The swine flu vaccination programme is in progress and the vaccine is being made available to people in priority groups who are most at risk from complications from the virus.  

“The priority groups – those with chronic conditions, pregnant women, people with compromised immune systems, as well as the people who live with them – will be invited by their GP practices to be vaccinated.

“I urge people identified as being at risk to get their vaccination once they have their invitation. The vaccine has been tested and approved and is the simplest and most effective way of protecting people’s health from the virus.

“We are also vaccinating frontline health and social care workers to ensure that we continue to care for the most vulnerable people in the community.

“We hope to have completed these priority vaccinations by the end of the year. The vaccine may then be offered more widely to healthy people, but our priority now is to ensure those most at risk are protected.”