LOCs urged to seek vaccination advice

Optical bodies are advising local optical committees (LOCs) to approach their PCTs over when and how staff are to be included in the NHS swine flu vaccination programmes.

A joint statement from ABDO, the AOP and FODO, urges LOCs to contact their PCTs about how practices might be able to help in wider pandemic management in return for appropriate remuneration.

The advice follows an announcement from health secretary Andy Burnham in August that frontline health and social care workers would be offered the swine flu vaccine at the same time as the first clinical risk group of patients. Burnham said frontline health workers were at increased risk of infection and of transmitting that infection to vulnerable patients.