People eligible for flu jab urged to 'sit tight' amid high demand

GP surgeries are prioritising who gets the winter flu jab, with those aged 50 to 64 needing to wait, the head of the Royal College of GPs has said.

Professor Martin Marshall urged people to "sit tight" and stressed it was important that all those eligible for the flu jab came forward when told to do so.

But he said there appeared to be a "significant problem" between supply and demand in England after pharmacy chains including Boots suspended online bookings.

Boots offers free jabs to those in the NHS at-risk groups but also allows the public to book and pay privately for a vaccine.

In July, the Government announced it was aiming to double its winter flu vaccination programme in England to 30 million people, including free jabs for anyone aged 50 and over.

But Prof Marshall said those aged 50 to 64 could have to wait for their vaccine as older age groups and at-risk groups are prioritised. He added that the jab was important as the NHS battles winter flu and rising Covid cases.

"The last thing we need is for the NHS to have to deal with the usual winter crisis of flu at the same time as dealing with a predicted crisis of Covid," he said.

"That would be too much for the NHS to deal with so it's really important if we've got a vaccine for flu, that we use it... Let's prevent the things that we can prevent."

Prof Marshall said later that the shortages appeared to be affecting pharmacies more than general practice but it had sought reassurance from the Government

"that there is enough vaccine supply to go round".

In a media briefing last week, England's deputy chief medical officer, Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, said the flu programme was always managed in stages.

He said: "The emphasis has always got to be on the existing high-risk groups and getting them well served and the uptake high before we move into the 50 to 64-year-olds who are lower risk.

"This actually fits with the likely pattern of arrival of flu vaccine stocks."

He said some GP practices also prefer to have staged deliveries "simply because of fridge space".

A Department of Health and Social Care spokeswoman said: "There is no national shortage of the flu vaccine - it is currently available in pharmacies and GPs across England and it is wrong to suggest otherwise.

"There are enough doses for 30 million people. The vaccine is already being delivered for those in at-risk groups, including the over-65s, and this will continue throughout the winter months."