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Swine Flu

This week, John Battle demanded from the Secretary of State for Health, Alan Johnson, a reassurance for pensioners that the traditional flu vaccine will not be jeopardised by the needs of the present flu crisis. 

Below you will find the Hansard text of the debate in Parliament.

John Battle (Leeds, West) (Lab): I thank the Secretary of State for his statement, and I thank him and his colleagues for the calm and collected manner in which they, the Department and the PCTs have responded to this crisis. Some commentators have suggested that action to search for vaccines will jeopardise the provision of the flu vaccine in the winter. Will my right hon. Friend reassure pensioners, in particular, that the traditional flu vaccine will still be available to them in the winter months, when it is needed?

Alan Johnson: That is our objective. Our objective is to use our sleeping contracts to get the vaccine for this particular virus in place without damaging the capacity for producing the seasonal flu vaccine. It is a difficult situation out there, because countries all around the world—particularly America—are trying to get protection for their own people as well, and there is only so much capacity in the system. But that is our objective, and I hope to be able to reassure the House on that, or at least explain why I cannot reassure the House on it, as developments move on.

 ©John Battle MP 08 May 2009