This briefing has been prepared to provide up to date national and local information on influenza A (H1N1), or swine flu, for staff of NHS Grampian and partner organisations. Given the potential for advice and guidance to change or be updated, each Influenza Brief will be valid for two weeks only. An updated brief will be issued every fortnight.

Scotlandoverview

  • Nationally the rate of GP consultations for flu-like illnesses continues to decline and is now below the normal seasonal levels and lower than in the two previous flu seasons when activity peaked in the first few weeks of the year.
  • GP consultation rates per individual Health Board are no longer being reported.
  • GP consultation rates remain highest among younger children (under 5 yrs).
  • The proportion of community samples testing positive for H1N1 is also continuing to decrease.
  • As of February 19 there have been 68 deaths in Scotland linked to influenza A (H1N1) since the start of the pandemic.
  • Vaccination will continue to be offered to the phase 1 group until the autumn of 2010 (health & social care staff, pregnant women, at risk adults under 65 & immuno-compromised people) and should be offered to all who enter the group e.g. newly pregnant women or newly immuno-compromised people. The vaccine should be offered opportunistically once the current cohort programme is completed.
  • Vaccination of the phase 2 group (children, 6months – 5 yrs) is currently ongoing but the aim is to complete the programme by the end of March and not continue over spring and summer.

Grampian overview

  • 225 people have been hospitalised in Grampian with confirmed H1N1, to the end of January 2010.
  • By 9 February, 8887 health and social care staff had received H1N1 vaccine.
  • In the general population, 17815 ten-dose vaccines have been distributed by NHSG.

Debriefing of flu activity

NHS Grampian, with partner organisations where appropriate, has started a programme of debriefing on all aspects of the planning of our response to pandemic flu and the operational delivery of that response. This is an important exercise as it enables us to assess the successes and challenges and to learn for the future. Both the Health Advisory Group (HAG) and the Pandemic Influenza Management Team (PIMT) are holding debriefing meetings. Learning has already been identified and will be shared in the next edition of Flu Brief. We would also encourage local operational response teams to debrief. If you would like assistance to do this please contact Dianne Donald, Civil Contingencies Manager, on ext 58558 or 01224 558558 from an external line or by email on

Preparing to “stand down”

We are now preparing to stand down the focused activity around pandemic flu. Certainactivities, for example the vaccination campaign, are ongoing and will continue. Other work will remain at a level of preparedness, should the situation change. The process of drawing the focused work on flu to a close will include debriefing, as described above, discussion at the Strategic Coordinating Group in early March and a formal communication to NHS Grampian and partner organisations. We expect that the next edition of Flu Brief, available on 8 March, will provide this communication and will be the final edition of Flu Brief.

Thank you for reading this Influenza Brief. If there are items you would like to include or questions you want to raise contact Corporate Communications on . The next and final edition of Flu Brief will be published on 8 March.