§ Mr. HunterTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many influenza vaccinations were given in the run-up to the winter of(a) 1998–99 and (b) 1999–2000; what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the flu vaccination programme in each of these periods; and what assessment he has made of the incidence of flu in the (i) immunised and (ii) non-immunised groups in each of those periods. [127302]
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§ Yvette CooperManufacturers' data show that 7.6 million doses of influenza vaccine were distributed for winter 1998–99 and 7.8 million for 1999–2000.
Data on the incidence of flu in immunised and non-immunised groups are not routinely collected. Efficacy data are based on published studies, some of which have spanned several years, showing that current available influenza vaccine gives 70–80 per cent. protection against infection with influenza virus strains related to those in the vaccine. In the elderly, protection against infection may be less, but immunisation has been shown to reduce the incidence of pneumonia, hospital admissions and deaths.