Live webchat with Health Secretary Andy Burnham today (Weds 22 July) 2.30-3.30pm

[HelenMumsnet]

We're delighted to announce that Andy Burnham, Secretary of State for Health, will be joining us on Mumsnet tomorrow (Wednesday 22 July) between 2.30pm and 3.30pm for a live webchat, during which he's promised to answer your questions about swine flu (and anything else you'd like to know).

Andy has been Health Secretary since June this year. He is also MP for Leigh in Greater Manchester, was born in Liverpool, has three children, supports Everton and, apparently, plays a mean riff on the guitar.

Because of the last-minute scheduling of this webchat, we're NOT taking advance questions, so stand by your keyboards at 2.30pm tomorrow (or get someone else to ask your question if you can't be there)!

We're back up - apologies - he's promised to stay a while longer.

And yes they promise to answer as many further questions as they can, if not covered here.

Would it be possible for your Dept to answer all SF questions that werent answered on a later post?

Thanks.

Thank you.

please can you answer the question on under 3s getting the vaccine?

On the media I think the coverage to date has been on the whole has been measured and informative. I was frustrated by the weekend coverage because this department has not changed its advice, but I appreciate that we need to work hard to provide as quick and clear answers as we can, if there is any sense of confusion. We have to recognise that there are other non government voices out there commenting and that is right and proper in a free country but I hope it won't always lead to headlines about confusion as that just increases anxiety. It is a fact that undbalanced coverage can put extra pressure on NHS staff by people making unnecessary visits to GPs or NHS Direct. I hope that the good media coverage so far will continue through the quieter summer months.

Politician not answering the questions non-shocka... do bear that performance in mind when it's election time ladies , I for one am not impressed....

OH well done MNHQ for getting us answers

We do not know where Channel 4 could have got their information from. It was news to us and sounds inaccurate. I have spoken to the manufacturers and I am lead to believe that it will not take anything like that long.

How will we be called for immunisation? Will it be alphabetically?

another SF question - but you can answer it later if you don't want to now (!). the NHS symptom checker told me i had swine flu, even though i don't have a high temperature. Can you have SF without a high temp? it struck me as unlikely despite having all the other symptoms. but it may explain all the panic when the symptom checker is diagnosing every normal cold as swine flu... Or can you in fact get SF without a temp?!

Aha great stuff, thanks for confirming Justine

Hi, sorry am I am late to this discussion. Just two simple questions really..

1. Are the under 5's (as they seem to be hit the hardest when they do contract SF) going to be priority when the vacination does arrive?
2. Bearing in mind it does not seem to be affecting the elderly as hard as the young why is there still talk of them being priority (no offence to the elderly of course) would it not make more sense to prioritise the 15-50(ish) yr olds that make up most of the country workforce and basically keep the country moving?

Thanks

Have to say I agree re non-government voices commenting. I wouldn't like it if RCM etc were prevented from giving their view, even if what they are saying is a bit dodgy.

BrightShinySun - i asked that earlier,i also believe the work force of the Uk should be a prority,if they fall ill & cannot work then the whole country will suffer.

My best advice for people going on holiday in Europe is to get an European Health Insurance Card for each member of the family. If you are travelling further afield you may want to consult the Foreign Office website but it is important to say that we do not plan to issue Tamiflu on a speculative basis. It is for people with symptoms.

On general availability ministers had to take a decision a couple of weeks ago about whether it should be restricted to at risk groups or made available to everyone with symptoms. We decided that it should be offered to everyone and we could take this cautious approach because we have built up such a large stockpile over recent years. I cannot stress enough that there is enough for everybody.

I am not a GP but it is nearly always the case that people who have Swine Flu have a temperature of 38 or more.

When will MPs get their vaccines?

But who will get it first?

The vaccine that is - not SF

Sorry PM73 haven't read it all and was just trying to get my question in!!

I am sorry but I have to sign off now. I know I haven't answered many questions particularly those not about Swine Flu but will come back soon to do another webchat and my team are going to try and answer as many as we can in the next week. Enjoy the summer and enjoy your holidays. Thanks for having me.

Thanks for coming, have a good holiday (if you are allowed one).