The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation advises all UK Health Departments on issues relating to vaccination and immunisation, based on currently available scientific evidence.At its June meeting, the committee agreed that the 2004-05 programme should again focus on protecting older people (65 years and over) and younger people, who have specified on-going medical conditions that make them particularly susceptible to flu and its often attendant complications.As a future development, the committee also accepted its Influenza Panel's recommendation that the free flu vaccinations should be offered to essential carers of the elderly or disabled people at the discretion of the GP, where sickness in the carer might jeopardise home care arrangements. Discussions on how best...