GP Letter No. 14: Phase 2 Follow Up / Dalian House
PO Box 15327
350 St. Vincent Street
GLASGOW
G3 8YU
Tel. 0141 201 4444
Fax. 0141 201 4401
Textphone: 0141 201 4479
All GPs in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and Practice Managers / Date Friday 8thJanuary 2010
Our Ref SA/HMMT
PHPU 0141 201 4917
Dear Colleague,
Re: H1N1 vaccination programme
Following my letter of Thursday 24th December, I am writing to provide an update on Phase 2 of the H1N1 vaccination programme in which all children aged 6 months to under 5 years will be offered the vaccine.
Phase 1
Completion
Phase 1 delivery of the H1N1 vaccination programme to those in the “At Risk” group, should have been completed by 31/12/2009. If this is not the case, please email with an estimated “% complete” progress status and target completion date, as we have been asked to report back to the Scottish Government on Phase 1 status.
Uptake Rates
Health Protection Scotland has provided all Health Boards with the H1N1 vaccine uptake rate across GP practices in their respective areas. Please see the attached spreadsheet for your practice’s current totals as at 27/12/2009. If it is felt that these totals do not reflect your practice’s uptake for Phase 1, please contact to inform us of the discrepancy.
I would like to take the opportunity to thank practices for their continued hard work and professionalism in delivering the programme.
Phase 2
LES
A LES for delivering Phase 2 of the vaccination programme was sent out to GPs on 22/12/09. The closing date for LES responses was Thursday 31stDecember 2009. We currently await the final list of those participating GPs from the Primary Care Support Team. If you have not returned the LES agreement as yet, please do so at your earliest convenience to allow alternative arrangements to be put in place for those infants registered under non-participating practices.
Identifying and Inviting Children
The Screening Services department are in the process of running schedule lists of all eligible children along with a blank invite letter from the SIRS system. The schedule lists, letters and information leaflets for parents will be sent to all participating practices for calling children for Phase 2 and should be expected by practices week commencing Monday 11th January.
Lists and letters for practices that are not participating will be sent to their local CH(C)P in order that they can invite and immunise these children by alternative arrangements.
Practices should check that the child has not already received the vaccine as part of the Phase 1 “At Risk” cohort, or indeed has been a virologically confirmed H1N1 case.
Progress
We are aware, anecdotally, of practices having already commenced Phase 2. If this is the case, please email indicate an estimated “% complete” progress status and target completion date.
Ordering Vaccine
You can obtain further vaccine supplies, if required, of Pandemrix and Celvapan, by placing an order with your local Vaccine Distribution Centre:
Clyde Sector: RAH pharmacy – Tel No 0141 314 6148
Glasgow Sector: Leverndale Pharmacy – Tel No 0141 211 6675
Dosage
When ordering additional Pandemrix, please remember that each vial will contain at least 20 Paediatric doses.
As previously circulated, please see the attached replacement to Greenbook, Chapter 23a, which details vaccine dosage.
Immunisation Recording
H1N1 immunisation should be recorded as per the current childhood immunisation method i.e. practices should complete the SIRS-generated schedule lists and return to the Screening Department for input to the SIRS system, as well as recording on their own GP systems.
We have been informed by the National Data Management group that an update to GP systems will be available fromsystem suppliers on Friday 8th January, which will assist practices in identifying the under 5 H1N1 vaccination cohort as well as record in the standard manner as implemented throughout Phase 1. Further details of the updates will be forthcoming. Practices should note that they have the option to utilise these updates for Phase 2 or continue using their systems as normal for childhood immunisation cohort identification & recording.
Ordering Sundries
As per my correspondence of 24th December, if you require further supplies of the:
- 21 gauge, 1.5 inch, green needles (100 per box) and/or
- the 3ml Braun syringes (100 per box) for mixing the adjuvant with the antigen
- 25 gauge, 1 inch, integrated/fixed orange needle/syringes for drawing the vaccine dose and administering it to the patient
- 1 litre and 5 litre sharps/clinical waste bins
Orders should have been placed via email by noon, Wednesday 6thJanuary. Deliveries will commence week of Monday 11th January. If you have missed this deadline, please email as soon as possible with your requirements, please note, however, that delivery may be expected week of the 18th.
Yours faithfully,
Dr Syed Ahmed
Consultant in Public Health Medicine