In the run up over the last two years to the pandemic the Government has been "working" with the various emergency services and other affected parties to plan how to manage during a pandemic. Key to this would be effective and appropriate information to the public and to professionals. I wonder if it was really worth all the effort? One example is the availability of the swine flu vaccine... Sir Liam Donaldson, Chief Medical Officer, promised the UK would start vaccination in August. Now we have been told that the first vaccine has been approved for us in the UK, but nothing released yet. Latest epistle received this afternoon suggests mid October when the supplies will arrive... I won't be keeping my fingers crossed.

We are also told that there will be priority groups but while "pregnant women" will be offered the vaccine, they are not yet sure which period of pregnancy the vaccine will be given. Confusion reigns to say the least in GP land. All I can say is that please keep in touch with your GP practice if you think you are in the risk groups... (if you are usually invited for a seasonal flu vaccine).

I expect the amount of swine flu to surge in Brighton in the next 10 days following all the expired hot air produced in the Brighton Centre by Gordon Brown and his fraternity.. just hope that the prevailing wind blows it away to sea rather than inland. I note that the public advice not to shake hands and wash/rinse hands frequently was not over evident on the TV portrayals of the conference meetings. I suppose that swine flu activity is a bit like Peter Mandelson - able to make periodic comebacks without being invited by the electorate.

Am off up to wilds of Scotland tonight to see what's going on North of the Border. Their children have been back at school for some two months now so what is happening there will reflect what is going to happen down in Brighton in a month's time.

Most people should be receiving their "routine seasonal" flu vaccines from now onwards ... please help your GP out by going along to have the vaccine. If he has the swine flu vaccine (ha ha) he will not doubt give you that at the same time, but if not, please remember that the Seasonal Flu vaccine and the Swine Flu vaccine protect against totally different forms of the virus and that BOTH types will be required this year.