petition for under 5's to have swine flu vaccination

[loganberry12]

does anyone know if there is a petition set up for this year? im really concerned that our children are not being offered this i may even start one myself if there isnt one

Some interesting reading about the last outbreak

www.nhs.uk/news/2009/12December/Pages/H1N1-swine-flu-virus-death-rate.aspx

Out of everyone infected only 0.026% of them died. Only 1% of the population are estimated to have been infected.

That said, the article also goes on to say "However, vigilance and the prompt use of antivirals when indicated, in addition to vaccination, remain highly important"

Which article, andalusianbay?

Andalusianbay: who does hold the purse strings?

It doesnt affect the elderly as bad as everyone else as most have them have some sort of immunity to it.

Sirzy thank you for that link - assuming that this season's outbreak is similar, it has made me feel a lot better about things. It is so hard sometimes to see beyond the media hype and find hard evidence to make rational decisions against.

I might even start letting my little boy out of the house again....

onimolap - in Wales it is the Welsh Assembly Government who control finances and decision making within the NHS. And following this years flu outbreak they have been forced to re-assess their policy with regard to who is eligible for the vaccine.

Wilfshelf - to answer your question the quote came from Dr Andrew Dearden, chairman of the BMA?s Welsh Council.

There is a hidden problem here. I wanted my 10 year old daughter vaccinated. GP said no. I went to boots, they said yes we will vaccinate an over 16 year old for 12.99. I asked two other gps practices, they said we will give you a private prescription, you ge the vaccine, eg from boot and we will administer it.
But my GP wouldn't.
For me o ge it ine privately will cost £102 here.

So there is a gap. The government refuses to vaccinate children. Adults can receive I privately from chemists at a modest cost.

Children are inadequately cared for except at a prohibitive price. Gps act unevenly, mine refused even to provide a private prescription or to administer it.

Andalusianbay: that is true at the top level. But if jabs are organised by GPs, does the funding come out of the GP budget (ie is it covered by the main GP contract? (which I think it is)). That would mean petitioning every practice, because as far as the top level budget is concerned, it's already covered there, and the directive was issued to supply to specified groups. If you want to take it out of GPs hands to a ring-fenced budget administered elsewhere, then that could be done, but it's quite a shift.

I think you have answered your original question Onimolap ? ?who do you petition?? - the policy makers ? in Wales, the Welsh Assembly Government!

As part of the GP contract Practices are expected to provide additional services, one of which is vaccination and immunisation. Under the contract practices are paid according to their patient population, they also receive points for achieving specific standards and levels of care. If the Government issue guidelines to the practices, as was the case when the pandemic broke out, it is for the General practitioners committee to come to an agreement with regard to payments with the Government.

No, I'm possibly being dense, but I'm still not clear who would be petitioned and what would be asked for.

At the moment, there have been descriptions of the status quo in Wales and a vague suggestion about petitioning those who hold the purse strings (which seems to be individual GP practices for the seasonal flu jab).

From the clinical governance point of view, it is JCVI advice which matters at present. I noted the denjgratory comments above. Is this petitioning going to be directed also at them, or is it to call for them to be excluded from the process?

Ominolap - the JCVI advise the government on vaccinations and the government are now legally obliged to implement what they recommend.

I know - I posted a link to their site (which includes the minutes of their meetings).

This thread is about starting a petition - I'm trying to find out who is to be petitioned and what will be asked for. I might have missed something mid-thread, but it's not clear to me what the answer is to either.

I?m not sure why its not clear either and I didn?t think it was a vague suggestion re petitioning the government, maybe the following will help:

It is not the individual practices you would petition ? they may hold their own budget but as I say if the guidelines change (implemented by the government) then they have to abide by these changes and negotiate if necessary with the government with regard to financial reimbursement. So of course it is the government who you would petition, if you so wished. As I mentioned earlier the Welsh Assembly Government have already announce that they will re-think the policy of vaccinating the under 5?s ? this change of policy has come about due to pressure from the public and authorities in the field who feel that the current policy is not the correct one.

www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2011/01/15/wales-to-review-flu-jabs-for-our-children-91466-27989690/#ixzz1C49QHYK3

Martin Semple, assistant director of professional practice at the Royal College of Nursing, urged the Assembly Government to ?review the evidence? over risks to children under five. ?We must continue to review the evidence and if it does point to a higher risk for under fives we must respond to it.?
Also, www.telegraph.co.uk/health/8228455/Flu-jab-for-under-fives-decision-to-be-reviewed.html: ?Yesterday, the Department of Health disclosed that the issue of whether healthy under fives should be vaccinated would now be subject to a lengthy review, which could lead to them receiving the seasonal flu vaccine on the NHS next year. A recommendation will be made by the Government's Joint Committee on Vaccinations and Immunisation (JCVI), following advice from its flu sub committee. This sub committee met earlier this month (Jan 2011) to discuss new evidence which supported the conclusion that all healthy infants should be vaccinated.
In January (2010), the majority of members on the JCVI's flu sub-group agreed "that it would be prudent to include children aged between six months and under five years in the 2010/2011 seasonal influenza programme", possibly with the H1N1 vaccine.
But in July, this advice was not taken up by the full committee, which draws up the Government?s vaccination programme. It recommended that under fives should not be offered the seasonal flu jab this winter, even though swine flu (H1N1) is a major strain in the current flu wave.? One has to wonder why the views of the majority were

The title of the thread was asking about whether there were any known existing petitions, or if OP should start one.

I have been seeking to find out to whom that petition would be addressed.

There is still no answer to that question, hence it reamins vague.

I'm leaving this thread now, as reiterations of the responsibilities of JCVI (something I've already posted twice) does not address the question I'd been hoping a wise MNer would be able to answer.

The original question was is there an existing petition and if not the member might start one ? would love to know if you did start one loganberry?

I didn?t realise onimolap that this was about point scoring. The point is that there are parents out there who would like to have the option of vaccinating their children against swine flu and in order for that to happen, logically you would petition those responsible for authorising the process?which would be the GOVERNMENT!

Maybe you didn?t read the links I posted?.obviously the Director of nursing felt the appropriate authority to contact was the WAG (not individual GP practices).

JCVI gives advice to Ministers based on the best evidence reflecting current good practice and/or expert opinion (the government are obliged to listen to their recommendations subject to them fulfilling certain criteria).

The point is that you would be petitioning the government to ensure that funds are made available to clinicians and researchers in order for them to carry out robust controlled studies from which the JCVI can then draw their conclusions from. If there is enough public opinion/pressure then it is more likely that the government will do this and may add to the existing strong evidence for vaccination. As I wrote previously, the majority of the members on the JCVI sub-committee were in favour of including this age group in the vaccination programme ? but somehow, this was ignored?.which does make the whole advisory process seem a bit of a sham.

I think I?ve addressed your question very well?it seems to me that for some reason (though you?ve given no valid alternative, other than writing to every GP) you do not want to listen to my reasoning. I?d just like to add that with three degrees, one in clinical research to my name I?m not inadequately equipped to answer your question?.I?d say that categorises me as being pretty wise.