Swine-flu vaccine move paves way for mass inoculations

Published on Saturday 26 September 2009 01:12

SCOTLAND moved closer to a mass vaccination campaign against swine flu yesterday as regulators approved a jab for the infection.

The European Medicines Agency has recommended to the European Commission that Pandemrix – made by drugs giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) – be granted a licence for use across Europe, including the UK.

It is expected that the European Commission will rubber-stamp the decision on the GSK vaccine in the next few weeks.

Once supplies are delivered to the UK, GPs will start vaccinating those in priority groups.

Yesterday, it was also revealed that Scotland could get its own unit with specialist machines to treat critically-ill flu patients.

Health secretary Nicola Sturgeon has ordered an expert group be set up to consider how to establish a centre for extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) treatment.

The technique involves oxygen being put into the blood of patients whose heart or lungs do not function properly.

One Scottish patient from Lanarkshire is currently receiving ECMO at the only UK centre for the treatment in Leicester.

Ms Sturgeon said: "It's important that we have adequate provision of ECMO across the UK. Evidence gathered by the expert group will help us reach decisions about increasing ECMO capacity in Scotland. However, it will take time to establish dedicated Scottish provision.

"Therefore I and health ministers across the UK have asked the UK Critical Care Group to advise us on what action requires to be taken in the short term to increase UK capacity to deal with the flu pandemic."

ECMO costs around 100,000 per patient and requires specialist nursing, medical and technical staff. But research suggests that the treatment can help save the lives of many of the sickest patients. Doctors hope that the H1N1 vaccination should mean that fewer patients contract the virus and become seriously ill, requiring treatments like ECMO.

Yesterday, the Scottish Government welcomed the approval of the GSK flu vaccine.

Ms Sturgeon said: "The next stage in the process is for a final decision on licensure to be taken by the European Commission. This means that should authorisation be granted by the European Commission we will be close to beginning our vaccination programme. A two-dose vaccination schedule, with a three week interval in-between, has been recommended."

But further research may show that only one dose is needed once the results are published and the recommendations may be updated.

Ms Sturgeon said the manufacturers had indicated that they expected licences to be granted in late September or October.

People aged six months to 65 in high-risk groups, such as those with asthma or diabetes, will receive the jab first. Then pregnant women, those living with people with a compromised immune system and people over 65 and health workers will also be vaccinated.