Parties flushed over flu jab row
By politics.co.uk staff
Labour has managed to raise the Tories’ temperature after shadow health secretary John Healey accused the government of giving up on flu vaccinations for under-fives.
The row over flu jabs came after ministers opted not to repeat the 2009/10 winter flu jabs. These were made available to all children aged under five because of fears of a swine flu epidemic.
In 2010/11 vaccinations are only available to under-fives who are identified as being at a high risk level.
Mr Healey told the Mail newspaper: “The problem lies with the groups most at risk, like children. That has come because the government axed the annual advertising campaign and cancelled the flu jab plan for the under-fives.”
That comment prompted health minister Simon Burns to accuse Labour of stooping to “a new low of political opportunism”.
He explained that the government is obliged to follow the recommendations of the joint committee on vaccinations and immunisations, which backed changing the flu jab policy in July.
“We have no intention of repealing these laws to allow us to override experts in the manner which Labour suggest,” Mr Burns commented.
“John Healey is either spectacularly ill-informed or playing politics with people’s health. He should either apologise or be ashamed.”
The Department for Health is set to review the decision for next year, however, the Telegraph reported, after the number of flu cases has rocketed this year. Some fear the situation could deteriorate in the new year when children return to school.
