Update 5: 23rd October 2009

Contents: Introduction | Vaccination Update | Useful Documents
Patient Information Leaflets | Fact Sheets

Introduction

The Irish College of General Practitioners (ICGP) supports vaccination to prevent H1N1 Pandemic Flu. The vaccination will take place in both general practice and in mass vaccination clinics organised by the Health Service Executive (HSE). The ICGP has a role to inform general practitioners on all aspects of H1N1 Pandemic Flu, including prevention, diagnosis and treatment. Some GPs will be taking on an additional role in providing vaccination for H1N1 in their practices while other GPs will be referring their patients to the HSE vaccination clinics.

This is a further up-date of clinical information relating to the H1N1 Swine Flu vaccination programme. The up-date is being provided acknowledging that some members may participate and some may not participate in the Pandemic Vaccination Programme. This information is intended to inform all members of the clinical issues surrounding this vaccination programme so that queries which will inevitably be raised by patients may be addressed whether or not the GP is providing the vaccination.

Vaccination Update

• The National Immunisation Office has confirmed that the Summary of Product Characteristics for both pandemic vaccines state the interval between doses of Pandemic Flu vaccine should be at least 21 days: it does not necessarily have to be exactly 3 weeks.
• A decision on whether a single dose will be considered sufficient for some people will be made in the next 2 weeks, but remains uncertain at this time.
• HSE has started distributing support literature and GPs will receive this by 2nd November.
• Arrangements for HSE Pandemic Vaccination Clinics in each LHO Area will be publicised next week.
• There will be regular up-dates, please refer to www.icgp.ie/flu.

Useful Documents

Below please find a list of links to some useful documents:

• Forum Articles on Swine Flu October 2009 - David Hanlon: Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 - clinical considerations
• Targeting Patients for Swine Flu Immunisation using Practice Software
• Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 Influenza: It Stops with You: FAQs for Health Professionals
• PANDEMRIX - Mixing Instructions
• Pandemrix suspension and emulsion for emulsion for injection. Pandemic influenza vaccine (H1N1) - Summary of Product Characteristics

Patient Information Leaflets

• Pregnant? Asthma? Heart Disease? Cancer? Obesity? Diabetes? Long-term Illness? Swine Flu: It Stops with You: Patient Information Leaflet
• Are you Pregnant? Have you given birth in the last 6 weeks? Swine Flu: It Stops with You: Patient Information Leaflet

Swine Flu Vaccine Fact Sheets

Swine Flu vaccine facts sheets are available to download in the following languages:

• HSE Pandemic Campaign 2009
• HSE Swine Flu Vaccines Site