Swine Flu - the latest February 2010

National Pandemic Flu Service ends February 10
The National Pandemic Flu Service is to be stood down from midnight on February 10, as pressures on the NHS from swine flu and flu-like illnesses have eased to well below the levels at which the national service was started.

This means there will no longer be a nationwide service for telephone assessment, online assessment or the issuing of antivirals. Assessment will revert to GPs.

In Devon, only 10 to 12 antivirals are being issued each day, and from February 11 the number of Antiviral Collection Points (ACPs) will be reduced.   See document about collection points here (28KB - pdf help)

We are asking GPs to continue authorising antivirals using the current systems (235KB - pdf help). This will continue to 31 March 2010, after which we expect the national antiviral policy to revert to normal.

In view of the national service being stood down, we would ask that posters and leaflets advertising the National Pandemic Flu Service are removed.  The national pandemic flu information line will have a recorded message referring callers to their GP or NHS Direct.

Vaccination programme
NHS Devon is still encouraging those with children over six months and under five years to have their children vaccinated. As the H1N1 virus at present accounts for more than 80 percent of influenza cases globally, we are working on the assumption that it may well be the dominant flu in the next flu season.

On those grounds, we are continuing to encourage frontline staff and people in the higher risk groups to take up the vaccination.