Secretary of State for Health Alan Milburn announced in mid-December that
the first-ever national flu vaccination target had been passed only two months
into the Government’s £2.5m publicity campaign.
A minimum uptake target of 60 per cent for GPs was set in May last year when
Milburn announced that anyone aged 65 or over would for the first time be
offered the free vaccine.
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Figures from all 99 health authorities for mid-December show that the
national uptake figure among people aged 65 and over was 61 per cent, with 67
authorities achieving uptakes well over 60 per cent.
Milburn said, "I know there was scepticism as to whether this target
could be achieved and concerns about flu vaccination supply. By protecting
millions of elderly people – as well as other at-risk groups – from what can be
a killer disease, the NHS is demonstrating that it is better prepared for
winter than ever before."
