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More than 18,000 National Health Service staff were off sick with flu yesterday as hospitals and GPs’ surgeries battle one of the worst outbreaks of the virus in more than a decade.
The proportion of doctors, nurses and other NHS staff too ill to come to work was almost 50 per cent higher than the proportion of all other employees in the public and private sector.
Figures show that almost one in every 65 NHS workers called in sick yesterday with flu symptoms.

The figures, compiled by FirstCare, which monitors absence rates for the public and private sector, suggest that 2,000 more NHS staff were off work yesterday than at the same time last year.

Absence rates among NHS staff are normally higher than those for other workers. This can partly be explained by the fact that they pick up illnesses from patients and also because they are advised to stay at home if they are unwell to prevent infections being passed on to patients.
Aaron Ross, of FirstCare said: ‘Normally NHS workers’ absence rates due to cough, colds and flu-like symptoms are 32 per cent higher than the non-NHS employees FirstCare cover, but as of this morning [Tuesday] this has increased to 47 per cent.
‘As NHS workers are such a good barometer of likely trends in cough, cold and flu absences, due to the nature of their work, we can expect to see a general increase across the working population in the coming days.’

More...Nearly a QUARTER of intensive care beds taken up by swine flu victims as teenage girl becomes latest victim

The figures also show that 275,000 staff employed in the public and private sector were off sick with flu symptoms yesterday, a rise of 12 per cent on the same day last year.
In total almost two million workers called in sick at an estimated cost to the economy of £302million.
While many were genuinely ill managers suspect that some were simply trying to prolong the Christmas break.
Pregnant women are being refused the flu jab at Boots and other high street chemists and at Tesco. Managers claim it is against their company licence to give them the vaccine – even though such women are classified as being ‘at risk’ from the infection.
Many GP surgeries have run out of supplies so expectant mothers have been going to pharmacies to pay for it themselves. But most will not vaccinate them or women who are breastfeeding. Yesterday it emerged that chemists were also refusing to vaccinate children.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... z1A7N8UIbM

Why as frontline workers are they not all issued with the jab in September? Absolutely stunned at the negligence... - Jennie , Southampton UK, 05/1/2011 00:11

Flu Vaccine Shortage Hits Parts Of UK
News > National
6:00pm 5th January 2011.


Suppliers are being asked to gather any spare flu jabs licensed for use in the UK from factories across Europe.

The Department of Health issued a statement after reports of patients being unable to get jabs from their local GP surgery.

A spokeswoman for the Department insisted there is "no national shortage" but admitted some areas are experiencing "local supply issues".

Around 14.5 to 15 million doses of seasonal flu vaccine are ordered by GPs in England every year.

The Department of Health hopes local shortages can be resolved through surgeries with too much vaccine offering it to others suffering shortages.

A spokeswoman said: "There is no national shortage of seasonal flu vaccine.

"Primary care trusts (PCTs) are working with their GPs to ensure that local supply issues are resolved locally where possible.

"The Department continues to liaise closely with strategic health authorities (SHAs) to ensure that the NHS is managing winter pressures effectively."

Flu has been striking the under-65s, with relatively high rates in youngsters under 15.

The most recent figures on numbers of deaths, published on New Year's Eve, showed 39 people in the UK have died with flu since the start of the outbreak in October.

Overall, 38 of the 39 victims were aged under 65, with four aged under five.

The Government has so far resisted calls for a national vaccination programme of young children, as was carried out last year for swine flu.

5:11PM GMT 05 Jan 2011
Suppliers are being asked to gather any left-over flu jabs licensed for use in the UK from factories across Europe.

The Department of Health issued a statement after reports of patients being unable to get jabs from their local GP surgery.

A spokeswoman for the Department insisted there was ''no national shortage'' but admitted some areas were experiencing ''local supply issues''.

Around 14.5 to 15 million doses of seasonal flu vaccine are ordered by GPs in England every year.

The Department of Health hopes local shortages can be resolved through surgeries with too much vaccine offering it to others suffering shortages.

A spokeswoman said: "There is no national shortage of seasonal flu vaccine.

"Primary care trusts (PCTs) are working with their GPs to ensure that local supply issues are resolved locally where possible.

"The Department continues to liaise closely with strategic health authorities (SHAs) to ensure that the NHS is managing winter pressures effectively."

According to the UK Vaccine Industry Group, 14.7 million doses have been delivered across the UK, with 4 per cent of those stocks going to private companies.

Shadow health secretary John Healey said: "This action is better late than never but will only add to the confusion over the Government's handling of the swine flu outbreak.

"The take up of the flu jab has been down on last year, yet there are still reports of GPs running out of vaccines.

"The Health Secretary has been slow to act at every stage and now his department is playing catch up by urging UK vaccine suppliers to buy in more from the rest of Europe."

Earlier today, it emerged that more than 1,000 tributes have been paid on Facebook to a teenager who died of suspected swine flu.

Singer Olivia Rae Clee-Barnett, 17, from Wirral, Merseyside, died in hospital in the early hours of Sunday.

Shocked friends set up a page on the social networking site to pay tribute to Olivia, known as "Livvy".

In a statement, Wallasey School headteacher Phil Duffy described the sixth-former as a "popular and positive student".

He added: "We are devastated by the news about Olivia.

"She was a very able student with a particular passion for music and theatre."

The youngster was part of a cast from Wallasey School involved in a theatre production of Grease which brought them national TV stardom in 2009.

The school beat 500 other schools nationwide to win a Sky TV competition called Grease: The School Musical.

Hundreds of messages on Facebook included one from a friend which read: "She was drop dead gorgeous, she had friends, a family and a boyfriend who all love her very much.

"She was smart and extremely talented at singing, acting, dancing and creative writing. She was a brilliant friend.

"She'll be 17 forever now. She'll never grow old or get grey hairs or wrinkles. She'll always be beautiful.

"We'll never forget you Livvy. You're one of a kind."

Yesterday, parents were urged to get their children vaccinated against flu if they fall into at-risk groups.

The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) said it was "concerned" about the rising number of flu cases, and how it is affecting younger children.

Flu has been striking the under-65s, with relatively high rates in youngsters under 15.

The most recent figures on numbers of deaths, published on New Year's Eve, showed 39 people in the UK have died with flu since the start of the outbreak in October. Overall, 38 of the 39 victims were aged under 65, with four aged under five.

The Government has so far resisted calls for a national vaccination programme of young children, as was carried out last year for swine flu.