- Asked by: Irene Oldfather, MSP for Cunninghame South, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 October 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 29 October 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether health workers qualified for free flu vaccinations prior to 2008.
Answer
The Chief Professional Officers'' advice to NHS boards on the seasonal flu vaccination has recommended that local occupational health services offer the seasonal flu vaccination to staff since 2002. It is likely that some boards will have offered the vaccination to staff locally prior to this.
- Asked by: Irene Oldfather, MSP for Cunninghame South, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 October 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 22 October 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether care home staff qualify for free flu vaccinations in 2008.
Answer
The Scottish Government recommends that everyone who works in health and social care should be vaccinated against seasonal flu. All staff within the NHS can access the vaccination for free from their employers. While the Scottish Government recommends that staff in other health and social care organisations are offered the flu vaccination, vaccination of these staff is ultimately a matter for the organisations and employers concerned.
- Asked by: Irene Oldfather, MSP for Cunninghame South, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 October 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 22 October 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance has been issued in 2008 in relation to flu vaccinations for care home staff.
Answer
The Chief Professionals Officers of the Scottish Government, in their letter of September 2008, recommend that social care organisations should consider offering the influenza vaccination to staff. In addition, a new information leaflet for health and social care staff has been distributed widely in advance of this year''s flu season to promote the vaccination to health and social care staff.
- Asked by: Irene Oldfather, MSP for Cunninghame South, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 October 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 22 October 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what the uptake was of the flu vaccination by care home staff in 2007.
Answer
This information is not held centrally.
- Asked by: Irene Oldfather, MSP for Cunninghame South, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 October 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 22 October 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance has been issued in 2008 in relation to flu vaccinations for health care workers.
Answer
The Chief Professional Officers of the Scottish Government, in their letter of September 2008, make clear that NHS organisations should provide the flu vaccination free of charge to staff directly involved in patient care. In addition, a new information leaflet for health and social care staff has been distributed widely in advance of this year''s flu season to promote the vaccination to this group.
- Asked by: Irene Oldfather, MSP for Cunninghame South, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 October 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 22 October 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether supplies of flu vaccine are sufficient to meet demand from at-risk groups.
Answer
The amount of flu vaccine ordered each year in Scotland is based on experience from previous years'' vaccine requirements for the at risk groups. There is nothing to indicate at this stage that the vaccine ordered for Scotland for this year will be insufficient to meet the requirements of the at risk population.
- Asked by: Irene Oldfather, MSP for Cunninghame South, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 October 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 22 October 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to increase the uptake of the flu vaccination by those groups most at risk.
Answer
The Scottish Government has launched a completely new marketing campaign for this year''s flu season with newly designed marketing materials including posters and leaflets. A new television commercial has also been produced for this year''s flu season. A pilot will also operate in two NHS board areas to investigate the impact of local practices writing to invite those under the age of 65 in at risk groups to attend for their free flu vaccination. The pilot and all marketing activity will be evaluated at the end of the flu season.
- Asked by: Irene Oldfather, MSP for Cunninghame South, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 October 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 22 October 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to encourage those who care for elderly people to enter the flu vaccination programme.
Answer
Newly designed marketing materials supporting this year''s vaccination programme highlight the importance of the vaccination to those who care for elderly people, particularly in the case of unpaid carers, who are entitled to the vaccination free of charge. The Scottish Government makes every effort to ensure that marketing materials leaflets are distributed to as widely as possible and currently distribute materials to more than 1,000 organisations supporting elderly people.
- Asked by: Irene Oldfather, MSP for Cunninghame South, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 October 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 22 October 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to increase the uptake of the flu vaccination by elderly people.
Answer
Uptake of the flu vaccination by those aged 65 and over continues to be in excess of the 70% national target, and in the last two years has been around or in excess of the 75% World Health Organization target. Although we are currently therefore exceeding our target for this population, we are not complacent and will continue to employ a national call up letter and ensure that marketing activity remains inclusive of the 65 and over at risk population.
- Asked by: Irene Oldfather, MSP for Cunninghame South, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 October 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 22 October 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive when flu vaccinations will be made available in 2008.
Answer
80% of the total flu vaccination supply ordered for Scotland was available by mid October 2008 with 99% due to be delivered by the end of October 2008. The vaccination programme itself commenced on 1 October 2008 and many GP practices across Scotland have already commenced vaccinating the at risk population.
